Eleven Years
by MusicAthlete11
Summary: Jason Green, famous guitarist of the Connect 3 band, has a secret. He has a little sister. She was his best friend. Until his parents sold her on her 4th birthday. He hasn't seen her for eleven years. Now he is eighteen. She is fifteen. How has Mitchie been fairing? Will they ever find each other again? Maybe a summer at Camp Rock will bring the family together.
1. The Worst Birthday Gift

The Worst Birthday Gift

_AN: Hey guys, this is my first story! Hope you enjoy!_

Eleven years ago….

"Happy Birthday Munchkin!" seven year old Jason Green exclaimed, waking up his sister.

"Jay!" Mitchie laughed.

"How does it feel to be four years old, Mitch?" Jason asked, picking up his little sister.

"It doesn't feel any different, Jay."

Jason laughed, "Alright, Munchkin. Why don't you go ahead and get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast. After that I think there are some presents waiting for you."

Mitchie jumped up and started to push her brother out of the room so she could get dressed. "Presents, yay! Jay go away so I can open my presents sooner!" Jason laughed and walked downstairs. His parents had breakfast on the table. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon. Jason smiled when he saw the little case sitting at his place at the table. He really hoped his sister liked her present.

"Good morning Jason! Where's your sister? Is she awake yet? It is her birthday, we can't start eating without her and I am famished." his father stated from the table.

"She is awake and…" Jason started, only to be interrupted by his sister jumping on his back. "Here's the birthday girl!" Jason brought his sister to the table and placed her in her chair.

"Eat up, Michelle, then you can open your presents." their mother told the now four year old as she dished some food onto Mitchie's plate. The food was dished out, eaten, and the dishes cleaned up in a little over an hour.

Mitchie was sitting on Jason's lap in their favorite chair. She was laughing and squirming as Jason tickled her. "Time for presents, Michelle!" their father said as he and their mother walked into the living room and sat down opposite the children.

"Presents!" Mitchie exclaimed. "Jay, I want to open yours first!"

Jason laughed, "Alright Munchkin. Here you go." He pulled the box out of his pocket and handed it to his sister, who immediately opened it. Mitchie stared in awe at the gift before her. She threw her arms around her brother and thanked him over and over. Jason laughed and kissed his sister's head. "Your welcome Munchkin. Here let me put it on you." Jason picked up the locket and placed it around his sister's neck.

The locket was a golden heart with many intricate designs, with an M carved into one side and a J carved into the other. A little keyhole was on the side of the locket.

"I have the key here, and until you are older I will keep it on me at all times." Jason told Mitchie.  
"Can I see what is inside?" Mitchie asked her brother.

"Of course Munchkin." Jason replied. He took the key that hung around his neck and the locket that hung around his sister's, and unlocked the locket. Inside were two pictures, the first was Jason's favorite picture of them, Jason was holding baby Mitchie in the hospital for the first time. The second was Mitchie's favorite picture of them, Mitchie was on Jason's back and they were both laughing as they started to fall over.

"Thank you Jay! I love it and will never take it off." Mitchie hugged her brother and stared at the pictures before closing it.

"Very beautiful Jason. Now for our gift." their mother broke the siblings out of their little world. "You have to go to the door Michelle. Go on, go open it." Mitchie jumped up and dragged her brother to the door with her. She stopped in front of the door, and Jason wrapped his arms around his sister. She smiled up at him then opened the door. There stood a man and a woman, they didn't look very nice and the man was holding a black briefcase. Jason and Mitchie's parents walked up behind them.

"Did you bring the money?" their dad asked. The man handed over the briefcase.

"It is settled then. Happy Birthday Michelle. Meet your new family." their mother said. Before Jason or Mitchie could comprehend what was happening, the man grabbed Mitchie and started to drag her towards the black car parked just in front of the house.

"No! Mitchie!" Jason shouted as Mitchie was ripped from his arms. He tried to reach out and grab her, but was unable to..

"Jay, Jay help me! Don't let them take me!" Mitchie screamed as she was dragged away from her brother. Mitchie was shoved into the car, and the car drove away. The last Jason saw of his was her screaming his name with tears streaming down her cheeks as the car drove away.


	2. Camp Rock!

Camp Rock!?

_AN: Second Chapter! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer, I don't own Camp Rock or any of their characters. _

_Warning: Their are some disturbing images in this chapter. (beating descriptions) Don't like, don't read._

Present Day….

Jason POV

It has been eleven long years since the day my sister was taken from me. Eleven years since I have seen her beautiful face in anything but a picture, heard her laugh, held her in my arms. It has been five years since I first went to Camp Rock, five years since Shane, Nate, and I became best friends and got signed onto a record deal as Connect 3, five years since I moved out of my parents house and moved in with Nate and Shane. I have been looking for my sister everyday since I moved out and still have yet to find her. I recently turned eighteen this year and on my eighteenth birthday talked to a lawyer and a judge about gaining custody over my sister if I ever find her before she turns eighteen. She is fifteen almost sixteen today. That is if she is still alive… Jason stop thinking like that. After I explained the situation to the judge he granted me custody over her on two conditions: one, I find her before she is eighteen, and two, she wants to be transfered into my care. The second shouldn't be a problem, the first….

Neither Shane nor Nate know that I have a sister, in fact no one knows I have a sister except me, the judge, and the lawyer. Neither of my bandmates could understand why I spent my eighteenth birthday talking with a judge. They won't understand until I find her. Every concert, every tour, I look at the ticket purchase list to see if my sister's name is on there. It never is. I sighed and took the picture out of my pocket to look at again. My mother took it on Mitchie's fourth birthday, that last day that I saw her. I wonder why my mother even took the picture because after my sister was gone, my parents got rid of every piece of evidence that Mitchie was ever there. I took all of her belongings and threw them in my closet and tried to save as many pictures as I could of her. In this particular picture, we were sitting in our favorite chair and I was tickling her. She looked so happy, so carefree. I smiled as I remembered the way she would laugh when I but touched her stomach. I felt tears come to my eyes and quickly wiped them away. _Oh Mitchie, _I thought. _Where are you?_

Mitchie POV

The first thing that I noticed when I woke up was the searing pain running through my whole body. The second thing I noticed was that the sun was up. I sat up fast, jumped up and ran into the kitchen. I saw Richard and Elizabeth sitting at the table.

"Why isn't our breakfast ready?" Richard yelled at me.

"D-D-Désolé. J'ai t-trop d-d-dormi." I nervously stuttered as I turned on the stove and started making their eggs. I have only spoken french since I was taken from my brother. I still understand and speak english, I just refuse to speak it, though I sometimes sing in english. Richard and Elizabeth both know french and know that I still understand english so everything speaking wise is good.

"If I overslept whenever I felt like it I would get fired now hurry up or we will be late and that won't be good for you when we get home." Richard scolded.

"Oui Monsieur." I replied as I finished the eggs and served them with their coffee.

It was the same routine every morning. Get up, make breakfast, Richard and Elizabeth leave, I clean the entire house, they come home and inspect it, they give me a beating based on breakfast and the cleanliness of the house, I make dinner, they tell me where and when I can sleep and whether or not I get food, they go to bed, and finally, sometimes I go to bed. Some days are different. Some days they take me out and I have to perform one of the songs that I wrote for a crowd and make money for them. That is all they use me for, money, beatings, and as a slave. Music is my only escape from this horrible life I am living.

I am broken from my thoughts when the door slams shut with Richard yelling at me to finish my chores and gather all of my clothes before they get home. That's a new one. He's never told me to gather my clothes before. Oh well. I guess I will find out what that means later. I start cleaning up the dishes, then the house. I gather my clothes and put them in the pillowcase they gave me to keep what little belongings I have in. My belongings include a couple pairs of dirty, old clothes, my guitar, my book of songs that I have written, and the locket around my neck that I cannot open because my brother has the key.

My brother. I haven't seen or heard anything about him in eleven years. I wonder what he's up to these days. I wonder if he still remembers and misses me. I really wish I could see him again. I wonder if he would even recognize me, I have really changed since the last time he saw me. Even though I haven't been eating much, courtesy of the Torres', I really have shot up, height wise. I am really skinny, practically skin and bones, once again from the little food I get to eat. I am more muscular than most girls though, which is probably due to doing chores everyday which includes moving every single piece of furniture everyday. I still have dark brown eyes and hair. In fact my hair, surprisingly, is straight and super soft and neat, I also have bangs, I don't like them though they get in my eyes and make it hard to see. My brother used to kiss my forehead right on my hairline. I wonder what he looks like now. He's probably really handsome. I vowed I would tell my brother everything that happened to me since I was sold, if we ever find each other. I really miss him.

I finished my chores around 1:30 pm and sat down to write another song. Most of my songs are about my life, the day I was sold, or my brother. I never wanted to see my parents again, and Richard and Elizabeth are more like my owners than parents. They treat me like property, not a person. The song that I started writing today was kind of a new genre for me. I wrote about the happy times that I spent with my brother.

I was just finishing up when Richard and Elizabeth walked in the door. I jumped up, walked over to the door, bowed to them, took their coats and bags, put them away, and stood by the door while they inspected my work. After about half an hour they came back and told me to go outside to the shed and pull out the whip and board that they used to beat me each day. I did as I was told. Richard then came outside and told me to remove my shirt. I did.

"You will receive forty lashings and thirty smacks with the board today for your mishap with breakfast and the horrible job you did at cleaning the house." Richard told me as he tied my hands to the lashing pole, as I called it. My beating ensued and when he was through he told me to put my shirt back on and put the whip and board away, then return to the kitchen. I did as I was told. After I had arrived and was standing in my corner of the kitchen Elizabeth spoke to me.

"You will be attending Camp Rock this summer, on a scholarship mind you." she told me.

_Of course, _I thought. _They hate spending any money on me._

"You will perform a solo in the Final Jam and win, receiving the reward of money or fame. Richard and I will be in the crowd for Final Jam. Grab your stuff, we leave in two minutes" Elizabeth informed me.

I was shocked. I was going to a summer camp solely based on music for an entire summer!? Richard and Elizabeth never let me stay away from the house for longer than a performance. I quickly got my pillowcase of belongings and my guitar and went out to the car.

I was lost in thought the entire drive. I had never talked to any kids my age before. I was scared. What was going to happen with food and sleep. Do I still wait for someone to tell me where and when to sleep and when and what to eat? I was so lost at what I was going to do. The best part of the summer would be no beatings, even though I knew they would get worse when I returned to the Torres' house.

All too soon, we pulled up to the entrance. Richard told me to get out. I got out of the car and walked into the entrance. I looked around in awe at the woods, cabins, stage, and _teenagers_. A man walked up to me, smiled and said, "Welcome to Camp Rock, poppet."

Shane POV

"Tell me again why I have to go to this stupid camp?" I questioned my bandmates, Nate Black and Jason Green. I am sitting in our limo on our way to Camp Rock. As I look at my bandmates, who are sitting across from me, I notice Jason is in his own little world. I wonder what he's thinking about because he looks sad.

"First of all, don't call Camp Rock stupid, it is where we met, became great friends, and started our band. Second, you are going because your attitude needs to change." Nate informs me, drawing me out of my reverie of studying Jason.

"And you think that me spending a summer at Camp Rock is going to fix my attitude?" I question.

"Hopefully, because otherwise I think we are going to lose our record deal. Especially since you stormed off the set of our music video and got this tour cancelled." Nate told me, giving me a small glare.

"Any help, Jason?" I asked as I turned to our third member, drawing him out of his thoughts. I saw him quickly tuck something back in his pocket and wipe his eyes. Wait, did Jason just wipe his eyes or am I seeing things? I have never once seen Jason cry or even come close to crying.

"As long as you fix your attitude so we can continue going on tours, then I don't care how it happens." Jason stated staring me in the eye. Did I forget to mention that he is a little upset about this tour being cancelled? Jason practically lives to go on tour, and I have no idea why. Personally I hate going on tour because we rarely ever get a chance to actually be the tourists, and because tours take up so much time and I just want a regular vacation, maybe spend some time with my parents?

"Thanks for the help Jason." I told him sarcastically.

"Hey, cheer up, Shane. We will be joining you for Final Jam." Jason told me as he put a hand on my knee.

"Great! Really looking forward to it." I replied sarcastically. We pulled up to the entrance of Camp Rock.

"We are here." Nate told me as he handed me my guitar, opened the door, and pushed me out of the limo. He closed the door and rolled the window down as the limo started to drive away. "Oh, I forgot to mention, you are recording a song with the winner of Final Jam!" he called as the limo drove away.

"What?! I am not doing that!" I yelled back at him.

"Bye, Shane! Try to have fun." Jason called to me as the limo disappeared from sight. I sighed, turned, and looked at the sign. _This is going to be a LONG summer,_ I thought.

_AN: Translation_

_Désolé. J'ai trop dormi. - I'm sorry. I overslept._

_Oui Monsieur - Yes, sir._


	3. Enemies and Friends

Enemies and Friends?

Mitchie POV

"Welcome to Camp Rock, poppet!" the man exclaimed. "My name is Brown Cessario, but everyone just calls me Brown. What is your name young lady?"

"M-M-Mitchie Torres, Monsieur." I replied timidly.

"There is no reason to be nervous Mitchie. I won't bite. And please don't call me sir," he shuddered, "it makes me feel so uncool, and I hate to be uncool. Please call me Brown." he told me politely. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me towards the cabins. He noticed my pillowcase full of my stuff. "Is that all you brought?" He asked me.

"Oui, mons-je veux dire Brown." I told him.

"Do you only speak french?" Brown asked me.

"Oui, depuis que j'ai quatre ans. Je parle encore et je comprends l'anglais et parfois je chante aussi en anglais." I told him.

"Why?"

"Je ne suis pas prêt à le dire à tout le monde encore."

"That's alright, just don't expect too many campers to understand what you're saying."

"Je ne m'attends pas à parler à beaucoup de toute façon. Avez-vous besoin d'aide dans le camp? Je suis très disposé à aider tout au long de l'été."

"Are you sure, because I am sure Connie would love some help in the kitchen?"

"Oui. Je fais la plupart des repas à la maison de toute façon."

"Alright I will introduce you to her after I get you settled in your cabin."

"Hey, Brown!' a girl yelled as she ran up to hug Brown. She had brown hair with curls, and a really bright outfit. "Who's this?" she asked.

"Mitchie this is Caitlyn Gellar. Caitlyn this is Mitchie Torres, she only speaks french but she understands english so feel free to talk in english. Caitlyn, why don't you show Mitchie around and get her settled into her cabin, then bring her back to me. I have some things I need to talk to her about. I warn you she is shy." Brown informed her.

"Well I guess it's good that I decided to take french instead of spanish. Come on, Mitchie! You can bunk with me and Lola!" Caitlyn exclaimed pulling me along behind her. We arrived at a cabin. "Welcome to Cabin Groove! It is right next to the head cabin where Brown stays, and he lets us do whatever, as long as it is before midnight. Come on, I'll introduce you to Lola." She pulled me inside where there was another girl unpacking her stuff onto a bed. "Mitchie this is Lola, Lola this is Mitchie, she is going to be bunking with us. Also she only speaks french, but understands english so feel free to speak in english"

"Hey, Mitchie! I am so glad I decided to take french with Caitlyn! Now we can talk and still understand each other! There are two other beds, take your pick." Lola said, gesturing to the two remaining beds in the cabin. Caitlyn flopped down on her bed. I walked over to the bed farthest from the other two that Lola and Caitlyn had taken up residence on, and placed my pillowcase on the bed and my guitar beside it. I grabbed my songbook and put it in my pocket.

"Caitlyn, pouvez-vous me ramener à Brown maintenant. Il doit encore me parler." I reminded Caitlyn.

"Oh, yeah. Come on." She jumped off her bed and we walked out of the cabin. As we walked towards the head cabin she noticed my book sticking out of my pocket. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at my book.

"C'est mon livre de chants. J'écris mes chansons ici." I told her.

"You write your own songs?! That is so cool!"

"Ils ne sont pas très bons."

"I'm sure they're great. Hey maybe you can sing one to me and Lola tonight before we go to bed."  
"Peut-être."

"Yay! Hey can I mix one of your songs? I am a music producer."

"Si vous l'aimez alors oui sûr."

"Yay! We are going to be great friends I can already tell." We walked up the steps to the head cabin. I think I could actually become friends with Caitlyn. Maybe this won't be so bad. We entered Brown's office and I saw him sitting behind his desk, he looked up when we walked in.

"Wow, I'm surprised you didn't kidnap her longer Caitlyn." Brown jokes, not knowing my past. When I heard the word kidnapped, I tensed. Luckily, neither person in the room seemed to notice. I wasn't quite ready to tell them what happened when I was four.

"Yeah, well I wanted to, but she wouldn't let me." Caitlyn jokes along. "Well I am off to go prepare for Opening Jam. See you later Mitchie."

"Au revoir, Caitlyn." I waved as she left.

"Alright, lets go introduce you to our cook, Connie." Brown said, standing up and leading me out of the cabin towards the mess hall. We entered the mess hall and went back to the kitchen, where a middle aged woman was putting food and cooking supplies away.

"Connie, I want you to meet Mitchie Torres. Mitchie this is Connie, our lovely cook. Mitchie would like to help out in the kitchen during the summer. I know you need an extra pair of hands so I brought her to you. Now she only speaks french but she understands english perfectly." Brown informed the lady. She stood up and wiped her hands on a towel. She reached out and shook my hand.

"Oh, french was my favorite class in high school and college, I still speak it sometimes because it is a fun language. Nice to meet you Mitchie. I would love some help around the kitchen. I can show you the ropes right now. Do you have any cooking experience?" she asked me.

"Oui, je cuisine chaque repas chez moi. Depuis que j'ai six ans." I informed her.

"That's impressive Mitchie! Did your parents teach you how to cook?" Connie asked me.

"I'll leave you two ladies to chat." Brown said, leaving the kitchen. I didn't know how to reply to that. Do I tell her the truth or make up a story? I felt like I could trust her with the truth, or at least part of it. I had vowed not to tell anyone what my life has been like since I had been sold by my parents until I told my brother.

"Non, mes parents m'ont vendu quand j'avais 4 ans, me séparant de mon frère, mon meilleur ami. En fait, j'ai appris moi-même à cuisiner, juste essayer différentes choses. C'est pour ça que je ne parle qu'en Français maintenant. Je refuse de dire un mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réuni avec lui, mais je vais chanter en anglais, il est plus facile pour les gens de comprendre ce que je dis." I told her.

"Oh you poor thing." she said, pulling me into a hug.

"Il me manque tous les jours, et la seule chose qu'il me reste en plus des souvenirs est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné le jour de mon anniversaire, mais il a la clé donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir."

"It is very beautiful." she said inspecting it. "What does the J stand for?"

"Jay ou Jason, mon frère et mon meilleur ami."

"Well shall we get started? We have to make something for Opening Jam, some kind of snack for the performance."

"Et mon mélange de collations?"

"What is in it?"

"Pas de noix, pour un. C'est un mélange de fruits, de craquelins et de petits bonbons."

"That sounds great. How do we make it?"

"Il suffit de couper quelques tranches de fruits, fruits secs fonctionne aussi, ajouter quelques mélanges snack, comme Cheez son, bretzels, Mix Chex, etc, et ajouter quelques petits bonbons, M&M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc."

"Simple, easy, delicious, and kind of healthy I love it. Let's get started." For the next hour, Connie and I cut up fruit and distributed the snacks and candies between bags. Connie also explained to me how this summer was going to work with me helping out in the kitchen.

When we finished making up the mixes we put the bags out in the serving area of the mess hall. Campers came flooding in and taking snack bags then filing out to the stage for Opening Jam. Connie and I talked while we cleaned up the kitchen and she told me she would see me at five for dinner preparations. I said goodbye to her and left the kitchen, heading for Opening Jam. I found Caitlyn and Lola and sat with them. Opening Jam was a lot of fun. Afterwards Caitlyn, Lola, and I were standing around talking when a blonde haired girl came up with two other girls following her.

"Hey Catherine, still don't have any fashion sense I see." she said snobbily.

"Still as blind as ever Tess." Caitlyn replied.

"Who are you to be talking to me like that?" Tess snarled.

"Les gars, arrêtez, s'il vous plaît." I begged. I hate it when people fight like this. I get it at home a lot, I don't need it at camp too.

"And just who are you, and why are you speaking in french?" Tess said as she turned to me.

"Her name is Mitchie Torres and she is a much better person than you will ever be. Mitchie, this is Tess Tyler, Peggy, and Ella. And she speaks in french because she wants too though she can understand english perfectly." Caitlyn informed me while still fighting with Tess. She leaned over and whispered to me, "she thinks she is the queen of this camp. Has ever since her first year."

"Torres, is your dad Nicki Torres the composer?" Peggy asked me. I didn't know what to say. I sure wasn't telling them my story like I did Connie. I guess I should lie.

"Non, il... possède un magasin de matériel." I said.

"Oh, that's lame." Tess said and started walking away. I wanted some more friends, at least for the summer, so what I said next I did without thinking.

"Mais ma mère est le Président de la plus grande station de musique en Chine." I blurted out.

"Like Hot Tunes TV in China?" Ella questioned me.

"Euh, oui c'est celui-là." I said.

"That is so cool." Caitlyn told me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"J'ai dû l'avoir oublié. J'essaie de l'oublier et de vivre une vie normale." I added on to my already huge lie.

"Well there is an open bed in our cabin if you want it." Tess told me.

"C'est bon, je pense que je vais rester avec Caitlyn et Lola. J'ai déjà promis que je couchette avec eux." I told her.

"Ok, but if you ever want to hang…" Tess told me.

"Merci." I told her as she walked away. I saw the sun was setting by now and realised I needed to find out what time it was. "Hé Caitlyn, quelle heure est-il?" I asked my friend.

"Five o'clock, why?" she told me after looking at her watch.

"Je dois aller faire quelque chose, je vais vous dire ce soir." I called back to her as I ran towards the mess hall. I ran into the kitchen and washed my hands. "Désolé je suis en retard Connie, je me suis pris dans une conversation." I apologized to Connie.

"That is fine Mitchie. You can go ahead and start cutting up the vegetables for the stew." Connie told me. I dried my hands and cut the vegetables before mixing them into the stew. "Would you put the place settings out?" Connie asked me. I nodded, picked up the place settings, and walked into the mess hall. I noticed there was a piano sitting in the corner. After I had finished setting out the place settings, I went over to the piano and sat down. I pulled out my songbook and opened to the new song I had recently written. I played a few chords to figure out what I wanted this to sound like. Once I had figured out the melody, I started singing:

Do you know what it's like,

To feel so in the dark,

To dream about a life,

Where you're the shining star,

Even though it seems,

Like its too far away,

I have to believe,

In myself,

It's the only way.

This is real,

This is me,

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,

Gonna let the light,

Shine on me.

I finished singing. I wasn't finished writing it yet. I think this might be what I do for Final Jam, but I have another song that I am writing that I might do instead. Maybe Brown will let me do both. I sighed, picked up my songbook, and walked back into the kitchen.

Shane POV

I was done with this already and I was only two hours in. I refused to go to Opening Jam. I sat in my cabin sulking. I picked up my guitar and started strumming random notes. It turned into the music that I loved to play. The music that my label is making me play I really hate. It is the reason for my attitude, I am rebelling against the label, but they don't know that. I miss playing this kind of music. Maybe while I am here I will write some songs that follow our old sound. I got an idea and started to write. I finished writing and started writing music to go with it. Even if the label won't let us play our old sound, we can still play it for fun. I pulled out my phone and went outside to find some reception to call Nate.

"Nate Black," Nate answered the phone.

"Hey Nate, it's me. Come get me please. I can't stand it here." I told him.

"Nope, your attitude still is not fixed." Jason yelled into the phone.

"Come on guys please?" I begged.

"Just because you're being polite doesn't mean we have to do what you ask, Goodbye Shane, we will see you in a few months." Nate told me, and then he hung up. I sighed and walked around the corner of a cabin, which lucky for me, had a group of girls sitting on the steps. They screamed, and started to chase after me. I ran around the corner of the mess hall, tripped, fell into the bushes, and just stayed down. The girls came around the corner trying to figure out where I went. All of a sudden I heard a piano, and then the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.

Do you know what it's like,

To feel so in the dark,

To dream about a life,

Where you're the shining star,

Even though it seems,

Like its too far away,

I have to believe,

In myself,

It's the only way.

This is real,

This is me,

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,

Gonna let the light,

Shine on me.

She sounded so sad, but her voice was amazing. The girls finally ran off, and I got up and entered the mess hall, but no one was there.

"Hello?" I called. I walked over to the piano and hit a note. I looked around the mess hall again. Where did she go I thought. I have to find her. I walked out of the mess hall with a mission.

_AN: Translation:_

_Monsieur - Sir_

_Oui, mons-je veux dire Brown - Yes, sir- I mean, Brown._

_Oui, depuis que j'ai quatre ans. Je parle encore et je comprends l'anglais et parfois je chante aussi en anglais. - Yes, since I was four years old. I still speak and understand English and I also sing in English._

_Je ne suis pas prêt à le dire à tout le monde encore - I'm not ready to tell anyone yet_

_Je ne m'attends pas à parler à beaucoup de toute façon. Avez-vous besoin d'aide dans le camp? Je suis très disposé à aider tout au long de l'été. - I don't expect to talk to much anyway. Do you need help in the camp? I am very willing to help throughout the summer._

_Oui. Je fais la plupart des repas à la maison de toute façon - Yes. I make most meals at home anyway_

_Caitlyn, pouvez-vous me ramener à Brown maintenant. Il doit encore me parler - Caitlyn, can you take me back to Brown now. He still has to talk to me_

_C'est mon livre de chants. J'écris mes chansons ici. - It's my songbook. I write my songs here_

_Ils ne sont pas très bons - They are not very good_

_Si vous l'aimez alors oui sûr - If you like it then yes sure_

_Au revoir, Caitlyn - Goodbye, Caitlyn_

_Oui, je cuisine chaque repas chez moi. Depuis que j'ai six ans - Yes, I cook every meal at home. Since I was six years old_

_Non, mes parents m'ont vendu quand j'avais 4 ans, me séparant de mon frère, mon meilleur ami. En fait, j'ai appris moi-même à cuisiner, juste essayer différentes choses. C'est pour ça que je ne parle qu'en Français maintenant. Je refuse de dire un mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réuni avec lui, mais je vais chanter en anglais, il est plus facile pour les gens de comprendre ce que je dis. - No, my parents sold me when I was 4 years old, separating me from my brother, my best friend. In fact, I taught myself how to cook, just trying different things. That's why I only speak in French now. I refuse to say a word in English until I am reunited with him, but I will sing in English, it is easier for people to understand what I say._

_Il me manque tous les jours, et la seule chose qu'il me reste en plus des souvenirs est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné le jour de mon anniversaire, mais il a la clé donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir - I miss him every day, and the only thing I have left in addition to the memories is the medallion he gave me on my birthday, but he has the key so I can't open it_

_Jay ou Jason, mon frère et mon meilleur ami - Jay or Jason, my brother and my best friend._

_Et mon mélange de collations ? - What about my snack mix?_

_Pas de noix, pour un. C'est un mélange de fruits, de craquelins et de petits bonbons - No nuts, for one. It's a mixture of fruit, crackers, and little sweets_

_Il suffit de couper quelques tranches de fruits, fruits secs fonctionne aussi, ajouter quelques mélanges snack, comme Cheez son, bretzels, Mix Chex, etc, et ajouter quelques petits bonbons, M&M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc. - Just cut a few slices of fruit, dried fruit also works, add some snack mixes, like Cheese-Its, pretzels, Chex Mix, etc., and add some small candies, M-M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc._

_Les gars, arrêtez, s'il vous plaît. - Guys, please stop._

_Non, il... possède un magasin de matériel. - No, he... owns a hardware store._

_Mais ma mère est le Président de la plus grande station de musique en Chine. - But my mother is the president of the largest music station in China._

_Euh, oui c'est celui-là - Uh, yes that's that one_

_J'ai dû l'avoir oublié. J'essaie de l'oublier et de vivre une vie normale - I must have forgot. I try to forget it and live a normal life_

_C'est bon, je pense que je vais rester avec Caitlyn et Lola. J'ai déjà promis que je couchette avec eux - I think I'm going to stay with Caitlyn and Lola. I've already promised that I'll sleep with them_

_Merci - Thanks_

_Hé Caitlyn, quelle heure est-il? Je dois aller faire quelque chose, je vais vous dire ce soir. Désolé je suis en retard Connie, je me suis pris dans une conversation - Hey Caitlyn, what time is it? I have to go do something, I'll tell you tonight. Sorry I'm late Connie, I got caught up in a conversation_


	4. Reliving the Past

Reliving the Past

Mitchie POV

After I helped clean up from dinner, I went back to my cabin and got ready to explain to Caitlyn and Lola what happened when I was four. I slowly walked into the cabin, walked over to my bed, went into the bathroom and changed. When I came back out Caitlyn and Lola were staring at me with curious eyes. I put my stuff on the bed, sat on the floor, and looked at them. "Bon, qu'est-ce que tu veux savoir d'abord?" I asked them, ready to get this over with.

"Why do you only speak in french and why did you not tell us about your mom?" Caitlyn immediately fired at me.

"Drôle, c'est en fait la même histoire. Tout d'abord, j'ai menti sur ma mère et mon père, tu comprendras quand je raconterai mon histoire," I informed them. "Soyez à l'aise c'est une longue histoire." I waited for the to get comfortable. " Bon, c'est parti. Il y a onze ans, à mon quatrième anniversaire…

_She is still speaking but it is more of a flashback for Mitchie._

"Joyeux anniversaire Munchkin!", âgé de sept ans, Jason Green s'écria, réveillant sa sœur.

"Jay!" Mitchie a ri.

"Comment ça se sent d'avoir quatre ans, Mitch?" Jason a demandé, en ramassant sa petite soeur.

"Il ne se sent pas différent, Jay."

Jason se mit à rire, "d'accord, Munchkin. Va donc t'habiller et rejoins-moi en bas pour le petit-déjeuner. Après cela, je pense qu'il ya des cadeaux qui vous attendent.

Mitchie a sauté et a commencé à pousser son frère hors de la salle afin qu'elle puisse s'habiller. "Cadeaux, yay! Jay disparaître pour que je puisse ouvrir mes cadeaux plus tôt! Jason se mit à rire et marchait en bas. Ses parents ont pris le petit déjeuner sur la table. Crêpes, oeufs, saucisse et bacon. Jason sourit quand il a vu le petit cas assis à sa place à la table. Il espérait vraiment que sa sœur aimait son cadeau.

"Bonjour Jason! Où est ta soeur? Elle est réveillée? C'est son anniversaire, nous ne pouvons pas commencer à manger sans elle et je suis affamé. "son père a déclaré de la table.

"Elle est éveillée et..." Jason a commencé, seulement pour être interrompu par sa sœur sautant sur le dos. "Voici la fille d'anniversaire!" Jason a amené sa sœur à la table et l'a placée dans sa chaise.

"Mangez, Michelle, alors vous pouvez ouvrir vos cadeaux." leur mère a dit à la maintenant quatre ans comme elle a mangé de la nourriture sur la plaque de Mitchie. La nourriture était délavé, mangé, et les plats nettoyés dans un peu plus d'une heure.

Mitchie était assise sur les genoux de Jason dans leur fauteuil préféré. Elle riait et se tortillait comme Jason l'a chatulé. "Le temps des cadeaux, Michelle!" leur père dit que lui et leur mère est entré dans le salon et s'assit en face des enfants.

"Cadeaux!" Mitchie s'écria. "Jay, je veux ouvrir le vôtre d'abord!"

Jason se mit à rire, "bon Munchkin. Ici vous allez. Il tira la boîte de sa poche et le remit à sa sœur, qui l'ouvrit immédiatement. Mitchie regarda dans la crainte au cadeau devant elle. Elle jeta ses bras autour de son frère et le remercia encore et encore. Jason a ri et a embrassé la tête de sa sœur. "Votre Munchkin Bienvenue. Ici laissez-moi le mettre sur vous. Jason a ramassé le médaillon et l'a placé autour du cou de sa sœur.

Le médaillon était un cœur doré avec de nombreuses conceptions complexes, avec un M sculpté dans un côté et un J sculpté dans l'autre. Un petit trou de serrure était sur le côté du médaillon.

"J'ai la clé ici, et jusqu'à ce que vous êtes plus âgés, je vais le garder sur moi à tout moment." Jason a dit à Mitchie.

"Puis-je voir ce qui est à l'intérieur?" Mitchie a demandé à son frère.

"Bien sûr Munchkin." Jason a répondu. Il prit la clef qui pendait autour de son cou et le médaillon qui pendait autour de sa sœur, et déverrouillait le médaillon. A l'intérieur étaient deux photos, la première était la photo préférée de Jason d'entre eux, Jason tenait bébé Mitchie à l'hôpital pour la première fois. La deuxième était la photo préférée de Mitchie d'entre eux, Mitchie était sur le dos de Jason et ils étaient tous les deux rire comme ils ont commencé à tomber.

"Merci Jay! Je l'aime et ne l'enlève jamais. " Mitchie étreint son frère et regarda les photos avant de la fermer.

"Très beau Jason. Maintenant, pour notre cadeau. "leur mère a brisé les frères et sœurs de leur petit monde. "Vous devez aller à la porte Michelle. Allez, ouvrez-le. " Mitchie a sauté et a traîné son frère à la porte avec elle. Elle s'arrêta devant la porte, et Jason enveloppa ses bras autour de sa sœur. Elle lui sourit puis ouvrit la porte. Il y avait un homme et une femme, ils n'avaient pas l'air très gentils et l'homme tenait une mallette noire. Les parents de Jason et Mitchie se sont promenés derrière eux.

"Avez-vous apporté l'argent?" leur père a demandé. L'homme a remis la mallette.

"Il est réglé alors. Joyeux anniversaire Michelle. Rencontrez votre nouvelle famille. "leur mère a dit. Avant que Jason ou Mitchie puisse comprendre ce qui se passait, l'homme a attrapé Mitchie et a commencé à la traîner vers la voiture noire garée juste en face de la maison.

Pas! Mitchie! Jason a crié que Mitchie a été arraché de ses bras. Il a essayé d'atteindre et de l'attraper, mais a été incapable de..

Jay, Jay, aidez-moi! Ne les laissez pas me prendre! Mitchie a crié quand elle a été traînée loin de son frère. Mitchie a été poussé dans la voiture, et la voiture a conduit loin. La voiture est partit avec moi à l'intérieur, criant et pleurant pour mon frère, mon meilleur ami. C'était la dernière fois que j'ai vu mon frère. Comme je lui ai promis, je n'ai jamais enlevé le médaillon qu'il m'a donné, mais je ne peux pas l'ouvrir parce qu'il a la clé." I finished my story and waited for their reactions. They both had tears in their eyes, while I had tears streaming down my face.

"Oh, Mitchie, that's horrible. I can't believe a parent would do that to their child." Lola said.

"What about your new parents? Weren't they ok?" Caitlyn asked.

"Au contraire, ils sont encore pires. Ils me traitent comme un esclave. Je dois faire tout le travail, nettoyer la maison tous les jours à leur perfection et si elle n'est pas fait à droite ou j'ai fait quelque chose de mal avec le petit déjeuner ou le dîner je suis battu, tous les jours. Je n'ai pas non plus de manger ou de dormir à moins qu'ils me disent que je peux et j'ai l'habitude seulement obtenir environ une heure de sommeil, si cela, et je dors sur le sol dans un petit placard minuscule. La nourriture qu'ils donnent est généralement une petite gorgée d'eau et peut-être une croûte de pain, si je suis chanceux. Je n'ai plus jamais faim et j'ai l'habitude de travailler sur mes chansons de toute façon." At this point I lifted up my shirt and showed them the bruises, welts, and gashes on my back and torso. Caitlyn and Lola both gasped and ran over and enveloped me in a hug.

"I don't know how you deal with all of that!" Lola said as she hugged me.

"Grâce à ma musique." I replied.

"Can we hear one?" Caitlyn asked.

"Sûr." I told them. They sat back and I got my guitar and tuned it. "C'est celui que j'ai écrit sur l'anniversaire de mon frère. On l'appelle maintenant tu as dix-huit ans.

Eighteen.

Today you are eighteen.

But I am missing your birthday.

Really wish I could be there.

But I am here

Can't go nowhere

But I'm still wishing you a happy birthday

From the bottom of my heart

And I sing to you

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

I'm wishing you a

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

From the bottom of my heart.

Wish I could give you a present

Like you gave me

Something special

Just from me

But I am here

Can't go nowhere

But I'm still wishing you a happy birthday

From the bottom of my heart

And I sing to you

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

I'm wishing you a

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

From the bottom of my heart.

I wanna see the candles blown out

A top that wonderful birthday cake

With friends and family gathered round

And you're wish coming true

I wanna be there with you

But I still sing to you

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

I'm wishing you a

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

From the bottom of my heart.

And I'll sing it again

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

I'm wishing you a

Happ, happ, happy Birthday

From the bottom of my heart.

Happy eighteenth birthday"

I finished singing and looked at my friends. They were staring at me with awe etched into their faces, along with sadness.

"Wow." Caitlyn finally said.

"Yeah, Wow." Lola agreed.

"Mitchie, that was amazing! You have an amazing voice, and your songs are so heartfelt." Caitlyn told me.

"Yeah, while you were singing that song I felt my heart breaking for you and your brother. It also made me appreciate the wonderful family I have now." Lola informed me.

"C'est l'idée. Mes chansons que j'écris et que je partage avec les autres sont censées rendre les gens conscients de la chance qu'ils ont d'avoir une famille, d'avoir des parents affectueux, des frères et sœurs et des enfants. Qu'une famille est quelque chose que vous ne pouvez pas remplacer, et de ne jamais le prendre pour acquis." I told them. This is why I agreed to write and sing my songs for Richard and Elizabeth to make money. Not because they would beat me if I refused or for the money, I would write and sing my songs to the public on my own without being paid, I did it so that people would understand just how lucky they are to have a family.

"Alright, ladies, lights out." Brown told us as he came into our cabin. We all jumped and looked at the door, surprised.

"Depuis combien de temps êtes-vous debout?" I asked him.

"Long enough to hear your song and explanation of the background of your songs.

"Donc, vous n'avez pas ici l'histoire de pourquoi je ne parle que dans français ou à qui la chanson était dédiée?" I asked him, scared that he had heard my story.

"Nope, I arrived just in time to hear the name of the song." He informed me. I let out a sigh of relief. "You have amazing talent Mitchie, I really hope you will consider singing at Beach Jam in two weeks."

"Maybe."

"Alright, lights out. Mitchie, you especially, you have to be in the kitchen to help Connie at 6:00, remember?"

"Je me souviens, Brown. Bonne nuit."

"Good night ladies, sweet dreams." Brown said as he left. Caitlyn turned to me after the door had shut.

"What does he mean by you have to help Connie in the kitchen? Did you already get in trouble?" Caitlyn asked me.

"Non, j'ai proposé de l'aider, en plus de chanter ma deuxième passion est la cuisine." I informed her and Lola.

"Well whoever gets you as a wife is going to be one lucky man." Lola teased me.

"Hey can we help out in the kitchen too?" Caitlyn asked.

"Bien sûr, je sais que Connie pourrait vraiment utiliser l'aide." I told them.

"Cool wake us up when you get up and get ready, and we will come and help you in the kitchen." Caitlyn told me.

"OK, bien sûr. Serait-il correct si je gardais une petite lumière sur pour travailler sur mes chansons?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Merci"

"Night Mitchie."

"Night Mitchie." Lola and Caitlyn echoed.

"Nuit." I replied and started working on my songs for Final Jam.

_AN: Translation_

_Bon, qu'est-ce que tu veux savoir d'abord? - Well, what do you want to know first?_

_C'est drôle, c'est en fait la même histoire. Tout d'abord, j'ai menti sur ma mère et mon père, tu comprendras quand je raconterai mon histoire. Mets-toi à l'aise, c'est une longue histoire. Eh bien, c'est parti. Il y a onze ans, le jour de mon quatrième anniversaire. - It's funny, it's actually the same story. First of all, I lied about my mother and father, you'll understand when I tell my story. Get comfortable, it's a long story. Well, here we go. Eleven years ago, on my fourth birthday. _

_The flashback is chapter one._

_Au contraire, ils sont encore pires. Ils me traitent comme un esclave. Je dois faire tout le travail, nettoyer la maison tous les jours à leur perfection et si elle n'est pas fait à droite ou j'ai fait quelque chose de mal avec le petit déjeuner ou le dîner je suis battu, tous les jours. Je n'ai pas non plus de manger ou de dormir à moins qu'ils me disent que je peux et j'ai l'habitude seulement obtenir environ une heure de sommeil, si cela, et je dors sur le sol dans un petit placard minuscule. La nourriture qu'ils donnent est généralement une petite gorgée d'eau et peut-être une croûte de pain, si je suis chanceux. Je n'ai plus jamais faim et j'ai l'habitude de travailler sur mes chansons de toute façon. - On the contrary, they are even worse. They treat me like a slave. I have to do all the work, clean the house every day to their perfection and if it is not done right or I did something wrong with breakfast or dinner I am beaten, every day. I also don't eat or sleep unless they tell me I can and I usually only get about an hour's sleep, if that, and I sleep on the floor in a tiny little closet. The food they give is usually a small sip of water and maybe a crust of bread, if I'm lucky. I'm never hungry again and I'm used to working on my songs anyway_

_Grâce à ma musique. - Thanks to my music_

_C'est celui que j'ai écrit sur l'anniversaire de mon frère. On l'appelle maintenant tu as dix-huit ans - This is the one I wrote about my brother's birthday. It's called now you're eighteen years old_

_C'est l'idée. Mes chansons que j'écris et que je partage avec les autres sont censées rendre les gens conscients de la chance qu'ils ont d'avoir une famille, d'avoir des parents affectueux, des frères et sœurs et des enfants. Qu'une famille est quelque chose que vous ne pouvez pas remplacer, et de ne jamais le prendre pour acquis - That's the idea. My songs that I write and share with others are supposed to make people aware of how lucky they are to have a family, to have loving parents, siblings and children. That a family is something you can't replace, and never take it for granted_

_Depuis combien de temps êtes-vous debout? - How long have you been there?_

_Donc vous n'avez pas entendu l'histoire de pourquoi je ne parle que dans Français ou à qui la chanson a été dédiée? - So you didn't hear the story of why I speak only in French or to whom the song was dedicated?_

_Je me souviens, Brown. Bonne nuit. - I remember, Brown. Good night._

_Non, j'ai proposé de l'aider, en plus de chanter ma deuxième passion est la cuisine. - No, I offered to help, besides singing my second passion is cooking._

_Bien sûr, je sais que Connie pourrait vraiment utiliser l'aide - Of course, I know that Connie could really use the help_

_OK, bien sûr. Serait-il correct si je gardais une petite lumière sur pour travailler sur mes chansons? - OK, of course. Would it be okay if I kept a little light on to work on my songs?_


	5. Unexpected Meetings

Unexpected Meetings

Mitchie POV

I stayed up all night working on my songs. At 5:15 I woke up Caitlyn and Lola to get ready, then went back to working on my songs. If I finish these two in time I might write one for Beach Jam, but we will just have to see. Caitlyn and Lola both came out of the bathroom at the same time, so I went in, brushed my hair and teeth and exited in five minutes, I didn't change out of the clothes I wore to bed because they were just my clothes for today anyway. Caitlyn and Lola were ready by 5:55, so I tucked my songbook and pencil in my pocket, and we left for the kitchen.

"Bonjour Connie." I greeted the cook as I walked in to the kitchen.

"Morning Mitchie! And who are the two young ladies with you?" She asked me.

"C'est Caitlyn et Lola. Je leur ai dit à propos de moi aider dans la cuisine pendant l'été et ils ont dit qu'ils veulent aussi aider."

"Wonderful! The more the merrier. Now Mitchie pancakes, if you have a special recipe for them go crazy! Lola, can you scramble eggs? And Caitlyn, would you cook the sausage and bacon? I will work on the fruit, drinks, and toast." Connie informed us. We all nodded and got to work. We had two and a half hours to cook and set up for the breakfast crowd. I started on my special cinnamon, banana, chip pancakes.

Two and a half hours later, kids came filing in and taking breakfast. Brown came in and took two plates, one for him and one for his nephew. An hour and a half later, the mess hall was empty and Caitlyn, Lola, and I had a dishwashing system going. I would wash, Caitlyn would dry, and Lola would put away. We were done in half an hour, and went out to go to classes and hang. Connie reminded us that we were supposed to be back at 12:00 to help with cupcakes and that lunch would be taken care of.

We talked, went down to the docks, played some music, Caitlyn wanted to hear more songs so she could mix them, and talked about jams and what or if we would do for them. I finished both of my songs for Final Jam and now just had to put music to them. I still had to talk to Brown about singing both for Final Jam, I was thinking maybe one for the contest and one while the judges were judging, I was thinking about letting Caitlyn mix the second song, but I am not going to tell her yet.

We lost track of time and by the time I realized what time it was, it was 12:45.

"Tirer! C'est 12:45! On était censés être dans la cuisine à 12:00! Vous restez ici, je vais voir ce qu'il reste à finir." I got up and ran towards the kitchen. When I got there Connie was finishing icing the cupcakes.

"Désolé, je suis en retard. On travaillait sur les chansons de final Jam et on a perdu la notion du temps. J'ai dit à Caitlyn et Lola de ne pas se soucier de venir parce qu'il n'y avait probablement pas beaucoup à faire. Que puis-je faire pour vous aider?" I apologized.

"That's alright. I am going to go put these boxes in the recycling. Can you clean up and box the cupcakes for me please?" Connie asked me as she walked off, arms full of empty boxes. I washed my hands, then started boxing cupcakes. I bent down to get another box when someone walked in.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" I could tell it was a boy from the voice. I stood up and looked at him.

"Salut, je peux t'aider?" I asked him. He looked at me weird when I spoke to him in french, just like most other people do. He had longish jet black hair that was straightened and styled to perfection, and he held himself like the world revolves around him.

"Do you work here?" he asked me. I wondered if he spoke french as well.

"Oui, j'aide ici dans la cuisine, mais je suis aussi un campeur. Mais je peux encore t'aider."

"Ok, don't know why any camper would want to help out in the kitchen, but if it works for you. I'm Shane, but I'm sure you already knew that." The guy, who I now knew was Shane, introduced himself to me.

"Ravi de vous rencontrer."

"Actually, it's not so nice. See, my manager said he sent over my food allergy list, but since I couldn't even go near my breakfast this morning... Can I just talk to whoever's in charge?" He really was being a jerk! He was probably about my age, and I thought, _I am going to stand up to him, for my brother. My brother would be proud of me for not letting him walk all over me._

"Excusez-moi!?"

"What?"

"Eh bien, ton genre d'être un con."

"And you are?"

"Une personne! Et il y a un moyen de parler à une personne et ce n'est pas ça."

He looked at me weird for a second. "Well, I'll have my manager send it over again."

"Fin." He turned to leave, and I cleared my throat. He spun around and looked at me. I stared him in the eye and raised my eyebrow.

"Thank you?" He questioned, like is this what you wanted.

"Beaucoup mieux." He left and I finished cleaning up. I vowed I was going to clean up that boy's attitude by the end of camp. I made it my mission.

Shane POV

That girl is different than the rest. She didn't grovel at my feet like every other girl. I found I liked it when she called me a jerk. The only other people who did that were my bandmates, my uncle, and my manager. It was different and new. I hoped I kept running into her over the summer.

Uncle Brown made me teach my class today. That girl was in it and she was really good. There was also a boy who had no rhythm in his feet, but he could drum. I promised I would help him with his dancing. Now I sat by the lake playing my guitar and singing the kind of music that I loved to play. That is why I have this attitude, because record changed our sound and I hate it. I want to go back to our original sound, it was just fine. I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a branch snapping as someone stepped on it. "Can't a guy get some peace?" The girl from the kitchen stepped out from behind a tree a foot from the dock where I was sitting.

"Désolé." She said walking up to me. "Désolé."

"You said that already."

"Désolé. Je... Tu jouais? Ça sonnait différent.."

Now I was upset. "From my usual stupid cookie cutter pop star stuff? Sorry to disappoint." I spat.

"Tu l'as pas fait. Je ne t'ai jamais entendu jouer avant. Je voulais dire que c'était différent des choses que j'ai entendu autour du camp."

"Oh, sorry I got angry at you. I just don't like the sound that my label is making me and my band play. Connect 3 just doesn't sound right playing this "new" sound."

"Tu es contrarié, je comprends. Je pense que vous devriez dire à votre étiquette que, si vos camarades de bande ressentent la même chose. Je sais aussi d'une fille, si jamais j'ai eu la chance, qui achèterait cette chanson."

"You're different. I like you. You're not afraid to speak your mind to me." I smiled at her, and realized that I didn't know her name. "Say, you know my name, but I don't know yours. Care to enlighten me?"

"Wow, c'est un grand mot pour une Popstar de savoir. Je m'appelle Mitchie. Vous êtes aussi différent. Je pense que nous serons de grands amis."

"Nice to meet you Mitchie. I would love to have a friend who isn't just my friend because I'm famous."

"Je m'en fous que tu sois célèbre. J'aime votre personnalité, même si votre attitude a besoin d'un certain travail, mais nous allons corriger cela au fil du temps."

I laughed. "You are really funny Mitchie. I enjoy talking to you."

"Moi aussi. Je dois partir. Je dois aider à faire le dîner. Si le dîner est quelque chose que vous ne pouvez pas manger alors je vais personnellement vous faire quelque chose."

"Merci, Mademoiselle"

"À plus tard, Monsieur." Mitchie waved as she ran off towards the kitchen.

"I will be in my cabin for dinner, join me!" I called after her. I hope she heard me. I went back to playing my guitar and waited for dinner.

_AN: Translation_

_C'est Caitlyn et Lola. Je leur ai dit à propos de moi aider dans la cuisine pendant l'été et ils ont dit qu'ils veulent aussi aider - It's Caitlyn and Lola. I told them about helping me in the kitchen during the summer and they said they also want to help_

_Tirer! C'est 12:45! On était censés être dans la cuisine à 12:00! Vous restez ici, je vais voir ce qu'il reste à finir. - Shoot! It's 12:45! We were supposed to be in the kitchen at 12:00! You stay here, I'll see what's left to finish._

_Désolé, je suis en retard. On travaillait sur les chansons de final Jam et on a perdu la notion du temps. J'ai dit à Caitlyn et Lola de ne pas se soucier de venir parce qu'il n'y avait probablement pas beaucoup à faire. Que puis-je faire pour vous aider? - Sorry, I'm late. We were working on the final Jam songs and we lost track of time. I told Caitlyn and Lola not to worry about coming because there probably wasn't much to do. What can I do to help?_

_Salut, je peux t'aider? - Hi, can I help you?_

_Oui, j'aide ici dans la cuisine, mais je suis aussi un campeur. Mais je peux encore t'aider. - Yes, I help out here in the kitchen, but I am also a camper. But I can still help you._

_Ravi de vous rencontrer. - It's nice to meet you_

_Eh bien, ton genre d'être un con. - Well, your kind of being a jerk_

_Une personne! Et il y a un moyen de parler à une personne et ce n'est pas ça. - One person! And there's a way to talk to a person and that's not it._

_Beaucoup mieux - much better_

_Désolé. Je... Tu jouais? Ça sonnait différent - Sorry. I... Were you playing? It sounded different._

_Tu l'as pas fait. Je ne t'ai jamais entendu jouer avant. Je voulais dire que c'était différent des choses que j'ai entendu autour du camp. - You didn't. I've never heard you play before. I wanted to say that it was different from the things I heard around the camp._

_Tu es contrarié, je comprends. Je pense que vous devriez dire à votre étiquette que, si vos camarades de bande ressentent la même chose. Je sais aussi d'une fille, si jamais j'ai eu la chance, qui achèterait cette chanson - You're upset, I understand. I think you should tell your label that if your bandmates feel the same way. I also know of a girl, if I ever had the chance, who would buy this song_

_Wow, c'est un grand mot pour une Popstar de savoir. Je m'appelle Mitchie. Vous êtes aussi différent. Je pense que nous serons de grands amis. - Wow, that's a great word for a Popstar to know. My name is Mitchie. You're also different. I think we'll be great friends._

_Je m'en fous que tu sois célèbre. J'aime votre personnalité, même si votre attitude a besoin d'un certain travail, mais nous allons corriger cela au fil du temps. - I don't care if you're famous. I like your personality, even if your attitude needs some work, but we will correct that over time._

_Moi aussi. Je dois partir. Je dois aider à faire le dîner. Si le dîner est quelque chose que vous ne pouvez pas manger alors je vais personnellement vous faire quelque chose - Me too. I have to go. I have to help make dinner. If dinner is something you can't eat then I'll personally do something to you_

_À plus tard, Monsieur - See you later, sir._


	6. Dinner, Canoes, and Confessions

Dinner, Canoes, and Confessions

Mitchie POV

I entered the kitchen to find Lola, Caitlyn, and Connie already working on dinner. I washed my hands and turned to Connie.

"Désolé, je suis en retard. J'ai été dépassé par un nouvel ami. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a pour le dîner?"

"Relacing us already?" Caitlyn jokes.

"Non, je viens d'ajouter à ma collection."

"Alright you two, Caitlyn back to work. Mitchie we are making tuna boats. Can you start mixing ingredients?"

"En fait, puis-je faire mes boulettes de viande chargées pour un autre campeur? Il est allergique au thon." I asked Connie, praying that she would say yes.

"Of course. Use whatever you need. We can take care of the tuna boats."

"Merci, Connie" I started cutting up vegetables, mixing sauce and seasonings, and grounding meat. I melted butter and mixed it with the meat to make it stick together. I mixed cheese and vegetables in with the sauce. I made little cups with the meat, put the sauce mixture in the middle, covered the middle with more meat, and put them in the oven. With ten minutes left to cook, I pulled them out, put them on a plate, covered them in the rest of the sauce and cheese, and put them back in the oven for ten more minutes. I pulled out two forks, two paper plates, and two drinks and put them in a small bag to make it easier to carry it to his cabin. I pulled the meatballs out ten minutes later and let them cool for five minutes. By this time, dinner had started and I had already let Caitlyn and Lola know I wasn't eating with them tonight and would see them back in the cabin.

I walked up the steps to Shane's cabin, and hearing yelling, I knocked. I knocked with my foot because my hands were full of food, so I wouldn't have been able to open the door anyway. Shane opened the door, still on the phone. He looked pissed, but when he saw me he smiled and took the bag from my hand. He ushered me inside his cabin and pointed to the table he had set up in the middle of the cabin with two chairs on either side. I placed the plate of covered meatballs down on the table and started pulling things out of the bag and setting them on the table. Shane stepped outside to finish his call while I finished setting up.

"Hey, Mitchie! Sorry about that, my bandmate wouldn't shut up about how bored he is because our other bandmate has been sitting in his room sulking pretty much the whole summer." Shane informed me walking back into the cabin. "He also informed me that they are going to be joining me here in two days. They are on their way."

"J'ai hâte de les rencontrer." I told him. He pulled my chair out for me. I smiled at him as he took his seat.

"So, what was for dinner, and what is our new dinner?"

"Ils ont des thoniers, et je sais que vous êtes allergique au thon, alors j'ai convaincu Connie de me laisser vous faire autre chose que vous pourriez manger sans tomber malade ou mourir." At this point I pulled the cover off the meatballs. Shane's eyes widened hungrily. "Alors je t'ai fait mes boulettes de viande farcies. ils sont farcis avec des légumes mélangés, sauce, et le fromage avec la sauce supplémentaire arrosé sur le dessus et recouvert de fromage."

"They look so good. Can we just eat them and stop talking about them."

"Bien sûr." I laughed as he put three on his plate, took a bite, and practically melted.

"These are so good! Where did you get the recipe?"

"Je les ai créés. Pas de livres de cuisine, pas de sites Web, juste mon cerveau, mes mains, et mes ingrédients."

"That is really impressive! How many recipes have you come up with?"

"À peu près tout ce que je fais est ma propre recette."

"You should have your own restaurant, cookbook, cooking show, catering company, anything to do with cooking!"

I laughed. "On verra. Je suis plus à la recherche d'une carrière musicale dans le chant. Je chante seulement pour que les gens réalisent qu'ils ne peuvent pas prendre ce qu'ils ont pour acquis, en particulier la famille."

"Wow. That is amazing. My bandmates and I just play because it's what we love to do." We finished dinner and just kept talking forever. Finally, I was forced to go. We cleaned up the table and I took the silverware and serving plate back to the kitchen to wash up then went to bed dreaming of tomorrow.

Shane POV

I am sitting behind a canoe right now. Just thinking of how these past two weeks have gone. I still haven't heard Mitchie sing yet, but she promises she is singing at Final Jam. I played Mitchie the song I wrote for the mystery girl, but it was really inspired by her, But I didn't tell her that. Mitchie and I have spent a lot of time together, sometimes joined by Andy, Barron, Sander, Lola, Caitlyn, and sometimes Nate. Nate and Jason arrived last week, and Nate and Caitlyn seem to be spending a lot of time together. Jason hasn't left the cabin except to eat and practice for Beach Jam, which is Friday. I was pulled from my thoughts when the canoe I was leaning against is rolled away, and I fell flat on my back. I was staring into the deep chocolate eyes of Mitchie Torres. It was in this moment that I realized I was falling in love with this girl.

"Ta voix sonne mieux ici?"

"Why don't we get in one of these things and you can tell me?" She laughed and we got in the canoe and started rowing, but we ended up going in circles. We reached the middle of the lake, by now we were just spinning in circles.

"Je ne pense pas que nous fassions ce droit."

"What? You don't like going in circles?" I laughed.

"Tu as trouvé ta fille spéciale?"

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"Jerk!"

"Hey! Being a jerk is a part of the rock star image."

"Garder une image peut être fatigant."

"But it keeps the posers away. I never know if people are hanging out with me for the free stuff or for the parties."

"Oh, sans aucun doute les trucs gratuits."

"Funny."

"Allez, je sais que tu n'es vraiment pas un crétin, je veux dire que tu aides Andy avec sa danse et ces filles hurlantes semblent t'aimer."

"Which brings me back to the whole jealous thing."

"Je le reprends, tu es un crétin.."

"It must be the same for you too, huh."

"Quel?"

"Because of your mom and her job at Hot Tunes. People probably are always fake around you."

"À ce sujet, il y a quelque chose que je dois vous dire, mais vous devez promettre de ne pas m'interrompre ou de se fâcher avant que je finisse toute mon histoire."

"Alright, I promise." Now I was curious about what she was going to say that would make me mad at her.

"D'abord, j'ai menti à propos de ma mère et de mon père. Je ne sais pas ce que ma supposée mère et mon père font. Maintenant, j'ai une bonne raison que j'ai menti. À mon quatrième anniversaire, mes parents m'ont offert de me vendre à un autre couple et de me dire que votre cadeau est une nouvelle famille. J'ai un frère, mais je ne l'ai pas vu depuis ce jour, il y a onze ans. On était très proches, c'était mon meilleur ami. Il me tenait quand le couple est venu me chercher. Ils m'ont arraché de ses bras. Tout le trajet, et le reste de ce jour et la nuit, je criais et pleurait pour mon frère. La seule chose que je lui ai laissée, c'est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné ce jour-là pour mon anniversaire. La seule chose, c'est qu'il a la clé, donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir. Je n'ai pas parlé un mot d'anglais depuis ce jour, je chante encore en anglais afin que les gens savent réellement ce que je dis. J'ai juré que je ne dirais pas un autre mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réunie avec mon frère. J'ai choisi français parce qu'un, Richard et Elizabeth comprennent français, et c'était la langue préférée de mon frère. Maintenant, vous vous demandez probablement pourquoi je n'ai pas dit ce que le nouveau couple a fait pour ma mère et mon père. Eh bien, c'est parce que, ils ne sont pas mes parents et je ne suis pas là enfant, oui j'ai leur nom de famille, mais c'est tout. Ils me traitent comme un esclave. Je quitte la maison quand ils m'emmèneront à un concert pour qu'ils puissent me faire de l'argent. Tous les jours c'est la même chose, faire le petit déjeuner pour eux, après qu'ils quittent je nettoie toute la maison de haut en bas, tous les knook et recoins, et le reste de la propriété. Ils reviennent à la maison, inspectent mon travail, si ce n'est pas fait à leurs normes, ce qui n'est jamais le cas, je me fais battre. La sévérité de la raclée dépend de la façon dont ils pensent que la maison est nettoyée et si quelque chose s'est passé la nuit avant ou pendant le petit déjeuner. Je n'arrive pas à manger ou à dormir à moins qu'ils me disent que je peux, et ils me disent combien je reçois." By the time she finished her story she was in tears, close to sobbing.

I was in shock. How could anyone do that to their child? Now I understood why her songs were supposed to make people understand how special their family was to them. I carefully crossed the canoe and hugged her.

"Oh, Mitch, I'm so sorry. Nobody should have to go through that. I am sure your brother misses you as much as you do him." She started sobbing into my shoulder even harder.

"C-C-C'est ce que i-i-il a utilisé d-d-de m'appeler!" I just hugged her tighter.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

"C'est bon, j'aime ça. Ça me rappelle mon frère."

"I promise after camp I will search for your brother, and I won't stop until I find him. I will also try to figure out how to get you out of that awful house before the summer ends." I felt her nod into my shoulder. We stayed like that until she stopped crying. She pulled away from me.

"Merci, Shane. Personne ne m'a jamais réconforté comme ça depuis que j'ai été séparé de mon frère.. Maintenant, nous devons revenir pour que je puisse aider avec le dîner." Once again I was shocked. What cruel person wouldn't comfort a crying child?

"Of course Mitch. Do you think I could help out?"

"Bien sûr que tu peux, Popstar."

"Merci, belle." We somehow got the canoe to the shore. As we start walking to the kitchen, we run into Nate.

"Dude, you gotta save me! Jason is driving me crazy with his sulking and sad music playing! Hey, Mitchie." Mitchie burst into tears again. I pulled her into me again.

"Dude, stop yelling! I just got her to stop crying!"

"I don't know what I did! I'm sorry, Magie. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"C'est bon, petit tambour. Ce n'est pas ta faute."

"What was it that he said that made you cry, Mitch?"

"Jason. C'est le nom de mon frère." I pulled her into an even tighter hug.

"Wait, brother? You have a brother, Magie?"

"Shane peut vous raconter l'histoire ce soir. Voulez-vous nous aider dans la cuisine? Il fixera votre problème avec votre compagnon de bande."

"I would love to help you in the kitchen." The three of walked to the kitchen, Mitchie in between Nate and I. Nate and I both had our arms around Mitchie as we walked.

_AN: Just to stave off any confusion, Nate and Jason arrived the day before. Jason stayed in the cabin and refused to come out, while Shane introduced Nate to Mitchie. They became good friends right away. They also came up with nicknames for each other. MItchie calls Nate little drum because he loves to play the drums. Nate calls Mitchie, Magie, which means magic in french. He calls her this because she has this sort of aura around her that's like magic._

_Translation_

_Désolé, je suis en retard. J'ai été dépassé par un nouvel ami. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a pour le dîner? - Sorry I'm late. I was stopped by a new friend. What's for dinner?_

_Non, je viens d'ajouter à ma collection - No, I just added to my collection_

_En fait, puis-je faire mes boulettes de viande chargées pour un autre campeur? Il est allergique au thon. - Actually, can I make my loaded meatballs for another camper? He's allergic to tuna._

_J'ai hâte de les rencontrer - I can't wait to meet them_

_Ils ont des thoniers, et je sais que vous êtes allergique au thon, alors j'ai convaincu Connie de me laisser vous faire autre chose que vous pourriez manger sans tomber malade ou mourir. Alors je t'ai fait mes boulettes de viande farcies, ils sont farcis avec des légumes mélangés, sauce, et le fromage avec la sauce supplémentaire arrosé sur le dessus et recouvert de fromage. Bien sûr - They have tuna boats, and I know you're allergic to tuna, so I convinced Connie to let me do something else you could eat without getting sick or dying. So I made you my stuffed meatballs, they are stuffed with mixed vegetables, sauce, and cheese with extra sauce sprinkled on top and covered with cheese. Of course._

_Je les ai créés. Pas de livres de cuisine, pas de sites Web, juste mon cerveau, mes mains, et mes ingrédients - I created them. No cookbooks, no websites, just my brain, my hands, and my ingredients_

_À peu près tout ce que je fais est ma propre recette - Just about everything I do is my own recipe_

_On verra. Je suis plus à la recherche d'une carrière musicale dans le chant. Je chante seulement pour que les gens réalisent qu'ils ne peuvent pas prendre ce qu'ils ont pour acquis, en particulier la famille - We'll see. I'm more looking for a musical career in singing. I only sing so that people realize that they can't take what they have for granted, especially the family_

_Ta voix sonne mieux ici? - Does your voice sound better here?_

_Je ne pense pas que nous fassions ce droit. - I don't think we're doing this right._

_Garder une image peut être fatigant - Keeping an image can be tiring_

_Oh, sans aucun doute les trucs gratuits - Oh, definitely the free stuff_

_Allez, je sais que tu n'es vraiment pas un crétin, je veux dire que tu aides Andy avec sa danse et ces filles hurlantes semblent t'aimer - Come on, I know you're really not a moron, I mean you're helping Andy with his dance and those screaming girls seem to love you._

_Je le reprends, tu es un crétin. - I take it back, you're a moron._

_Quel? - What?_

_À ce sujet, il y a quelque chose que je dois vous dire, mais vous devez promettre de ne pas m'interrompre ou de se fâcher avant que je finisse toute mon histoire. - There is something I have to tell you about that, but you have to promise not to interrupt me or get angry before I finish my whole story_

_D'abord, j'ai menti à propos de ma mère et de mon père. Je ne sais pas ce que ma supposée mère et mon père font. Maintenant, j'ai une bonne raison que j'ai menti. À mon quatrième anniversaire, mes parents m'ont offert de me vendre à un autre couple et de me dire que votre cadeau est une nouvelle famille. J'ai un frère, mais je ne l'ai pas vu depuis ce jour, il y a onze ans. On était très proches, c'était mon meilleur ami. Il me tenait quand le couple est venu me chercher. Ils m'ont arraché de ses bras. Tout le trajet, et le reste de ce jour et la nuit, je criais et pleurait pour mon frère. La seule chose que je lui ai laissée, c'est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné ce jour-là pour mon anniversaire. La seule chose, c'est qu'il a la clé, donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir. Je n'ai pas parlé un mot d'anglais depuis ce jour, je chante encore en anglais afin que les gens savent réellement ce que je dis. J'ai juré que je ne dirais pas un autre mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réunie avec mon frère. J'ai choisi français parce qu'un, Richard et Elizabeth comprennent français, et c'était la langue préférée de mon frère. Maintenant, vous vous demandez probablement pourquoi je n'ai pas dit ce que le nouveau couple a fait pour ma mère et mon père. Eh bien, c'est parce que, ils ne sont pas mes parents et je ne suis pas là enfant, oui j'ai leur nom de famille, mais c'est tout. Ils me traitent comme un esclave. Je quitte la maison quand ils m'emmèneront à un concert pour qu'ils puissent me faire de l'argent. Tous les jours c'est la même chose, faire le petit déjeuner pour eux, après qu'ils quittent je nettoie toute la maison de haut en bas, tous les knook et recoins, et le reste de la propriété. Ils reviennent à la maison, inspectent mon travail, si ce n'est pas fait à leurs normes, ce qui n'est jamais le cas, je me fais battre. La sévérité de la raclée dépend de la façon dont ils pensent que la maison est nettoyée et si quelque chose s'est passé la nuit avant ou pendant le petit déjeuner. Je n'arrive pas à manger ou à dormir à moins qu'ils me disent que je peux, et ils me disent combien je reçois. - First, I lied about my mother and father. I don't know what my supposed mother and father are doing. Now I have a good reason that I lied. On my fourth birthday, my parents offered to sell me to another couple and tell me that your gift is a new family. I have a brother, but I have not seen him since that day, eleven years ago. We were very close, he was my best friend. He was holding me when the couple picked me up. They pulled me out of his arms. All the way, and the rest of that day and night, I was screaming and crying for my brother. The only thing I left him was the medallion he gave me that day for my birthday. The only thing is that it has the key, so I can't open it. I haven't spoken a word of English since that day, I'm still singing in English so people really know what I'm saying. I swore I wouldn't say another word in English until I was reunited with my brother. I chose French because one, Richard and Elizabeth understand French, and it was my brother's favorite language. Now you're probably wondering why I didn't say what the new couple did for my mom and dad. Well, that's because, they're not my parents and I'm not there as a child, yes I have their last name, but that's it. They treat me like a slave. I leave home when they take me to a concert so they can make me money. Every day it's the same, make breakfast for them, after they leave I clean the whole house up and down, all the knook and nooks, and the rest of the property. They come home, inspect my work, if it is not done to their standards, which is never the case, I get beaten. The severity of the beating depends on how they think the house is cleaned and whether something happened the night before or during breakfast. I can't eat or sleep unless they tell me I can, and they tell me how much I get._

_C-C-C'est ce que i-i-il a utilisé d-d-de m'appeler! - T-T-That's what h-h-he used t-t-to call me!_

_C'est bon, j'aime ça. Ça me rappelle mon frère - It's good, I like it. It reminds me of my brother._

_Merci, Shane. Personne ne m'a jamais réconforté comme ça depuis que j'ai été séparé de mon frère.. Maintenant, nous devons revenir pour que je puisse aider avec le dîner - Thank you, Shane. No one has ever comforted me like that since I was separated from my brother. Now we have to go back so I can help with dinner_

_Bien sûr que tu peux, Popstar - Of course you can, Popstar_

_Merci, belle - Thank you, beautiful_

_C'est bon, petit tambour. Ce n'est pas ta faute - It's good, little drum. It's not your fault_

_Jason. C'est le nom de mon frère - Jason. That's my brother's name_

_Shane peut vous raconter l'histoire ce soir. Voulez-vous nous aider dans la cuisine? Il fixera votre problème avec votre compagnon de bande - Shane can tell you the story tonight. Do you want to help us in the kitchen? It will fix your problem with your bandmate_


	7. Author's Note

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a little while. I'm busy with school, gymnastics, softball, and my musical. I'm also working on like seven stories at once so I'm trying really hard guys. I hope to have the next update by Sunday. Thanks so much for reading!

MusicAthlete11


	8. Beach Jam and Exposure

_AN: Sorry it took me so long to update. Enjoy._

Mitchie POV

It has been two days since I told Shane my story, and Shane told Nate. Shane promised he told Nate down by the docks, in the absence of his third bandmate. Today is Beach Jam. I can't wait for Shane and his bandmates to play their new song for the camp. I will finally be able to hear Shane sing with his band. He still has to wait for Final Jam. My second song has really come true, thanks to him. My first song has always been true. I finally remembered to ask Brown about singing two songs. He told me I could sing one for the competition and the second song was for while Connect 3 was judging.

Now I am sitting in front of the Beach Jam stage, waiting for Shane to come out. Brown walks on the stage to announce the next performer.

"And last but definitely not least, my nephew, Shane Gray!" There was a lot of screaming as Shane took the mic from his uncle.

"Well if that's the entrance I get let's see what you can do for my bandmates! Come on out guys!" As Nate and Jason ran on stage there was even more screaming. I leaned over to Caitlyn, Lola, Andy, Barron, and Sander and whispered to them.

"Je pense que je vais être sourd avant que je puisse jamais entendre Shane chanter!" We all laughed.

"I want to be able to hear Nate play!" Caitlyn exclaimed.

"Have a little crush do we?" Lola teased.

"No, he's my friend. He is so funny! It's also really easy to talk to him." She explained, but I could see her blushing.

"Euh-huh, des détails plus tard." I demanded.

"I got my own man, I don't need one of them." Lola said smiling at Barron.

"Toi aussi, mon ami. Détails." I told her.

"And we want details about you and Shane. Don't think you are getting out of this." Caitlyn informed me.

"Alright, we are going to play something new for you guys. Let us know what you think." Shane interrupted us from the stage. We settled in to listen as they started to play.

Shane POV

I lost myself in the music as it started, but still stared at Mitchie while singing, because once again she was the one who inspired me to write the music I love again.

**"****Music,**

**Turn on that radio**

**As loud as it can go**

**Wanna dance until my feet can't feel the ground**

**Say goodbye to all my fears**

**One good song and they disappear**

**And nothing in the world can bring me down**

**Hand clapping, hip shaking, heart breaking**

**There's no faking**

**What you feel**

**When you're right at home, yeah**

**Music's in my soul**

**I can hear it**

**Every day and every night**

**It's the one thing on my mind**

**Music's got control**

**And I'm never letting go, no, no**

**I just want to play my music, woo**

**Got my six string on my back**

**Don't need anything but that**

**Everything I want is here with me now**

**So forget that fancy car**

**I don't need to go that far**

**What's driving me is following my dreams, yeah**

**Hand clapping, hip shaking, heart breaking**

**There's no faking**

**What you feel**

**When you're on a roll, yeah**

**Music's in my soul**

**I can hear it**

**Every day and every night**

**It's the one thing on my mind**

**Music's got control**

**And I'm never letting go, no, no**

**I just want to play my music**

**I just want to play my music**

**Can't imagine what it'd be like**

**Without the sounds of all my heroes**

**Singing all my favorite songs**

**So I can sing along**

**Music's in my soul**

**I can hear it**

**Every day and every night**

**It's the one thing on my mind**

**Music's got control**

**And I'm never letting go, no, no**

**I just want to play my music**

**Music's in my soul**

**I can hear it**

**Every day and every night**

**It's the one thing on my mind**

**Music's got control**

**And I'm never letting go, no, no**

**I just want to play my music**

**All night long"**

We finished playing and took our bows. From the screaming crowd I could tell they liked it. Maybe our label will let us play that. Jason practically ran back to the cabin after we left the stage. Something is seriously wrong with him, I will have to talk to him later. I looked at Nate and he nodded indicating he had the same idea. We put our instruments away and went to go talk to Mitchie and the rest of our new friends, who were our friends for us and not our fame. As we are approaching Mitchie, Caitlyn, Lola, Andy, Barron, and Sandor a voice stops us in our tracks.

"Hey, Mitchie. Tell us about your mom again." Uh-oh, this wasn't going to end well. I glanced at Nate and he had the same horrified expression I probably had on my face. Why does Tess Tyler always have to ruin everything?

"Her mom is a great person. What's your mom like?" Bless Caitlyn's heart for trying to stand up for Mitchie.

"Um, she's like a mom?" That was Peggy, not knowing what the heck Caitlyn was trying to do.

"I mean I know she's the president of Hot Tunes TV China, but tell me again about how important she is."

"Elle…"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Elle est plutôt cool."

"And…"

"Et elle n'est pas la Présidente de Hot Tunes TV China."

"What's that? She's not president? You mean you lied to everybody?"

"Oui, mais…"

"So she'd what, vice president? Treasurer?"

"Tess." At this point Caitlyn cut in trying to stop Tess.

"Shut up. Go on. Tell us." I wish there was something I could do but I would probably make it worse. I wonder what Mitchie is going to say.

Mitchie POV

At this point Tess had done it. I don't care anymore. I know Caitlyn, Lola, Barron, Sander, Andy, Nate, and Shane will be there for me no matter what happens after this.

"Tu sais ce que Tess? Je ne peux pas vous dire ce qu'elle fait, et Pendant que nous y sommes, mon père ne travaille pas non plus dans un magasin de quincaillerie. Je ne sais pas ce qu'il fait aussi, mais je peux vous dire ce qu'ils ont fait il y a onze ans. Ils m'ont vendue. À un autre couple qui ne me traite pas comme leur enfant, mais comme leur esclave, et j'ai les marques pour le prouver. Je n'ai pas seulement des marques, mais je dois attendre qu'ils me disent quand je peux dormir, quand je peux manger, ce que je peux manger. Je dors dans un placard qui n'est pas assez grand pour qu'un chat s'étire. Non seulement cela, mais quand j'ai été pris, j'ai été littéralement arraché des bras de mon frère. Mon frère, mon meilleur ami. Je ne l'ai pas revu depuis. Alors oui, j'ai menti, mais j'avais une bonne raison. Était-ce que je devais dire aux gens, "Oh oui, mes parents m'ont vendu quand j'étais pauvre à un couple qui me bat, me regarde, et me traite comme un esclave? " je ne sais pas pour vous, mais ce n'est pas ce que je veux que les peuples première impression de moi d'être." I turned and ran off towards the lake with tears streaming down my face, leaving a shocked crowd behind me.

Jason POV

As I sat in my cabin thinking about my sister, I heard yelling. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but when it ended I saw a girl running towards the lake. I saw Shane and Nate running after her. I sighed, and grabbed the key, that held on the chain around my neck. Mitchie wouldn't want me to be sulking like this, she would want me to be spending time with my bandmates, having fun, get a girlfriend. I made a vow, starting tomorrow that I would stop sulking and have fun with my bandmates.

_AN: Translation_

_Je pense que je vais être sourd avant que je puisse jamais entendre Shane chanter! - I think I'm going to be deaf before I can ever hear Shane sing!_

_Euh-huh, des détails plus tard - Uh-huh, details later_

_Toi aussi, mon ami. Détails - You too, my friend. Details_

_Elle est plutôt cool. - She's pretty cool._

_Et elle n'est pas la Présidente de Hot Tunes TV China - And she's not the President of Hot Tunes TV China_

_Oui, mais - Yes, but_

_The big paragraph - You know what Tess? I can't tell you what she's doing, and while we're at it, my dad doesn't work in a hardware store either. I do not know what he is doing, but I can tell you what they did 11 years ago. They sold me. To another couple who does not treat me as their child, but as their slave, and I have the marks to prove it. I don't just have brands, but I have to wait for them to tell me when I can sleep, when I can eat, what I can eat. I sleep in a closet that is not big enough for a cat to stretch. Not only that, but when I was caught, I was literally ripped out of my brother's arms. My brother, my best friend. I haven't seen him since. So yes, I lied, but I had a good reason. Was I going to tell people, "Oh yes, my parents sold me when I was four to a couple who beat me, hate me, and treat me like a slave? "I don't know about you, but that's not what I want peoples first impression of me to be._


	9. Final Jam and Discoveries

_Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry for the long wait. I've been rather swamped with my activities lately and have just now found the time. Sorry again for taking so long. As usual, I don't own Camp Rock or the characters. French Translation is at the bottom per usual. Enjoy!_

Mitchie POV

Today is Final Jam, I am so excited! Caitlyn and I have been practicing my second song, which is called This Is Me, and I am so ready to sing it for the crowd. I have also been practicing my competition song. I think it becomes more emotional everytime I sing it, although it took me forever to find just the right melody I wanted for it. I really hope everyone likes it. I really don't care if I win, I know if I don't I will get a really bad beating, but I don't care. I believe Shane when he tells me he will find a way to get me away from Richard and Elizabeth, and he will find my brother. I don't actually care if I never leave Richard and Elizabeth, if I stay their slave forever, as long as I get to see my brother again I could care less what happens to me. I just want to see him again. I am broken from my thoughts when a pair of arms wrap around me.

"Nate, tu sais que Shane et Caitlyn te tueraient s'ils te voyaient en ce moment?" I joke, knowing that it was Shane behind me. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I am Shane's girlfriend now? I am, he asked me yesterday on our canoe ride.

"If it was Nate instead of me, I wouldn't kill him, I know he is your best friend next to me of course." Shane laughed, but also being serious at the same time.

"Devenir arrogant à nouveau Popstar? Peut-être que j'ai besoin de retrouver garçon de cercle?"

"I don't think so. I am still here. Are you ready for Final Jam? We have to report in five minutes."

"Je suis plus prêt que je ne l'ai jamais été. Je pense que vous serez surpris. Je suis juste un peu effrayé par les réactions de Richard et Elizabeth à mes chansons parce qu'ils détestent quand je chante des chansons comme celles-ci."

"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you, at least as long as you're here, and I will have your address, so I can visit you whenever I can." He pulled me into his embrace and I buried my head in his chest. We stayed like that until Nate came running up to us.

"There you guys are! You have thirty seconds before Final Jam starts, come on!"

We got up and raced across the camp. Shane and Nate dropped me off backstage, each giving me a kiss on the cheek for good luck before sitting at the judges table. I was last so I stood backstage and waited. I saw Richard and Elizabeth in the crowd and shuddered at the thought of what would happen if I didn't win. I turned back to the show and watched my friends go before me. I was really proud of Peggy and Ella for ditching Tess and doing their own thing, well Peggy did her own thing Ella sang with Barron, Sander, and Lola. I was really shocked with Peggy's performance, she really deserves to win, not me.

Finally, after what felt like forever, it was my turn. Brown called me up onto the stage and I came on stage with my guitar and sat on the stool in front of the mic that was set up for me.

"Cette chanson s'appelle onze ans et est dédiée à mon frère. J'espère que ça te plaît." I took a deep breath and started my song.

**"****Ooh, ooh, ooh.**

**You held me in your arms,**

**Kissed my head,**

**Tucked me in.**

**You were my best friend**

**I was four years old,**

**When I last saw your face,**

**I was ripped from your arms that fateful day.**

**That was eleven years ago.**

**It's been eleven years**

**Since I saw your face,**

**Eleven years**

**Since I was wrapped in your arms**

**Eleven years ago **

**I was ripped from your arms**

**The day seemed fine**

**It was my birthday**

**But that all changed with my parents gift**

**They gave me a new family**

**Sold me away**

**Yes they sold me**

**I was four years old,**

**When I last saw your face,**

**I was ripped from your arms that fateful day.**

**That was eleven years ago.**

**It's been eleven years**

**Since I saw your face,**

**Eleven years**

**Since I was wrapped in your arms**

**Eleven years ago **

**I was ripped from your arms**

**I've never stopped **

**crying for you**

**I miss you every day**

**Yes I miss you everyday**

**Cause I was four years old,**

**When I last saw your face,**

**I was ripped from your arms that fateful day.**

**That was eleven years ago.**

**It's been eleven years**

**Since I saw your face,**

**Eleven years**

**Since I was wrapped in your arms**

**Eleven years ago **

**I was ripped from your arms**

**Oh, It's been eleven years**

**Since I saw your face,**

**Eleven years**

**Since I was wrapped in your arms**

**Eleven years ago **

**I was ripped from your arms**

**What I would give **

**To see your face**

**If only one more time**

**What I would give**

**To see your face **

**If only one more time**

**It's been eleven years**

**Since I saw your face,**

**Eleven years**

**Since I was wrapped in your arms**

**Eleven years ago **

**I was ripped from your arms**

**Will I ever see you again**

**Will I ever see you again"**

When I was finished singing I was close to tears, and the crowd was silent. For a moment I thought they had hated it, then one person stood up and started clapping then another and another. Soon the whole audience was giving me a standing ovation. Brown came back up on stage and tried to settle the crowd. Once he had gotten them settled enough that they could hear him, he spoke.

"I know, I know such talent. Well it is time for our judges to pick one to be the winner." Shane, Nate and Jason went to the very back of the crowd to judge. Jason looked really shaken. I wonder why. Well it is time for song two.

"We have a special treat tonight! Mitchie will be performing another song, assisted by Caitlyn Gellar, while our judge's judge. Here she is again Mitchie Torres!"

Shane POV

I was stunned by Mitchie's performance, it was amazing! Uncle Brown told us it was time to judge, so Nate, Jason, and I went behind the audience to judge.

"My vote is Mitchie and that is final." Jason informed us. I could tell Mitchie's performance had hit him hard. I could hear Uncle Brown behind us saying that Mitchie was going to be singing another song. I really hoped I would get to hear it.

"Either her or Margaret Dupree, she was good too." Nate inputted.

"I agree." I said.

"Alright all in favor of Margaret raise your hand." Nate said. None of us raised our hand. "Alright, Mitchie it is."

"Who are you looking at boys?" Uncle Brown asked, coming up behind us.

"We chose Mitchie. It was a unanimous vote. We did have to decide between her and Margaret though. Well, Nate and I did, as soon as we got over here Jason proclaimed his vote was for Mitchie and he wasn't backing down. Her performance really had an impact on Jason, I've never seen him like this before." I told Uncle Brown.

Meanwhile, the music had just started and Mitchie had just stepped on stage.I turned to watch her.

**"****I've always been the kind of girl**

**That hid my face**

**So afraid to tell the world**

**What I've got to say**

**But I had this dream**

**Right inside of me**

**I'm going to let it show**

**It's time**

**To let you know**

**To let you know**

**This is the real, this is me**

**I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now**

**Gonna let the light**

**Shine on me**

**Now I found**

**Who I am**

**There's no way to hold it in**

**No more hiding who I want to be**

**This is me"**

"That's the song! Wait, Mitchie's the mystery girl? This day just keeps getting better." I grabbed the mic from Uncle Brown, mesmerized by Mitchie's singing.

**"****Do you know what it's like to feel so in the dark**

**To dream about a life where you're the shining star**

**Even though it seems**

**Like it's too far away**

**I have to believe in myself**

**It's the only way**

**This is the real, this is me**

**I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now**

**Gonna let the light**

**Shine on me**

**Now I found**

**Who I am**

**There's no way to hold it in**

**No more hiding who I want to be**

**This is me"**

**"****You're the voice I hear inside my head**

**The reason that I'm singing**

**I need to find you**

**I gotta find you**

**You're the missing piece I need**

**The song inside of me**

**I need to find you**

**_I gotta find you_**

**_This is the real, this is me_**

**_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_**

**_Gonna let the light_**

**_Shine on me_**

**_Now I found who I am_**

**_There's no way to hold it in_**

**_No more hiding who I want to be_**

**_This is me_**

**You're the missing piece I need**

**The song inside of me**

**This is me**

**You're the voice I hear inside my head**

**The reason that I'm singing**

**_Now I found who I am_**

**_There's no way to hold it in_**

**_No more hiding who I want to be_**

**_This is me"_**

We finished singing and linked hands. "Mitchie Torres you are full of surprises." She just smiled at me.

Jason POV

That Mitchie girl has really got my emotions in a spin. The song she sang exactly matched what happened to my sister, the time frame was right too. There were too many resemblances. She also speaks in french, which is my favorite language, and she has my sister's name. I watched and listened as Shane and Mitchie sang together. It was like Mitchie and Shane were meant to sing together, their voices matched and blended perfectly. I am glad Shane found his girl but I still need to find mine.

"Amazing! Such great talent. If I could have all of our performers come out on stage, I have the results." All the contestants came out on stage and stood in a line. Shane just stood off to the side with Nate and I. We had moved from the back after Mitchie and Shane sang. "In second place, Miss Margaret Dupree!" Margaret stepped out, took a bow and stepped back. "And, our Final Jam winner is… Mitchie Torres! Mitchie you have won the privilege to record a song with my nephew! If I could have Mr. and Mrs. Torres come up for pictures with Mitchie please." A man and a woman walked up onstage looking so proud. I recognized them from somewhere, but I couldn't place where or when. A glance at Shane and Nate had me even more confused, they were glaring at Mr. and Mrs. Torres...strange. Everything has been really strange tonight.

Suddenly a gleam from a camera flash caught my eye. I looked back over at Mitchie. The gleam was coming from around her neck. I tried to get a better look at what it was and when I did I gasped. It was a locket, very similar to the one I gave my sister, Mitchie, on her birthday. Then I realized how I knew the Torres', they were the ones that had taken my sister.

Shane and Nate looked at me when I gasped. "You okay dude? You just went pale as a ghost." Shane asked me with a worried expression on his face. I started to walk towards Mitchie.

"Where are you going Jase?" Nate questioned as I moved towards Mitchie and the Torres'. I had to find out if she was wearing the same locket I gave Mitchie eleven years ago. Just recognizing the Torres' was not enough. It was up to the locket now. I reached Mitchie, who by now was looking at me confused, but my eyes were fixed on the locket. Now that I was up close I could see more of the details on the locket. I reached out to take hold of the locket, and surprisingly, Mitchie didn't move. I picked up the locket and examined it, I turned it over and saw the M, J, music symbols, and birds on it. It was an exact match to the one I gave Mitchie eleven years ago. I looked up into her eyes and gasped, they were the same deep mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes as my sister.

"Munchkin? Mitch? Is that really you?" I asked her.

She gasped. "Jay?" I knew it had to be her now, only my sister had ever called me that because she had a hard time pronouncing s' so she shortened my name.

I pulled the key from under my shirt. "May I?" She nodded. I put the key in the locket. This was the moment of truth. If she really was my sister, this would prove it, though there was no doubt in my mind that she wasn't. This was just extra. I took a deep breath and turned the key.

_Nate, tu sais que Shane et Caitlyn te tueraient s'ils te voyaient en ce moment? - Nate, you know Shane and Caitlyn would kill you if they saw you right now?_

_Devenir arrogant à nouveau Popstar? Peut-être que j'ai besoin de retrouver garçon de cercle?" - Becoming arrogant again Popstar? Maybe I need to find drummer boy?_

_Je suis plus prêt que je ne l'ai jamais été. Je pense que vous serez surpris. Je suis juste un peu effrayé par les réactions de Richard et Elizabeth à mes chansons parce qu'ils détestent quand je chante des chansons comme celles-ci. - I'm more ready than I've ever been. I think you'll be surprised. I'm just a little scared of Richard and Elizabeth's reactions to my songs because they hate it when I sing songs like these._

_Cette chanson s'appelle onze ans et est dédiée à mon frère. J'espère que ça te plaît. - This song is called eleven years old and is dedicated to my brother. I hope you like it._


	10. AN

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I am trying to decide something for this next chapter and haven't quite decided which version I would like. I would ask opinions but I'd rather not give the next couple chapters away. ;)

Anyway, thanks for being so patient with me. Hope all of you are well and I will try to update by Sunday!


	11. New and Old Family

Jason POV

I turned the key and the locket popped open. Staring back at me were the two pictures I had put in the locket for her birthday; when I first held her in the hospital after she was born and one of me swinging her around, we were both laughing so hard.

I looked back up at her. "Mitch." I pulled her into a hug. Finally, after eleven years, I was able to hold her in my arms again. I kissed the top of her head. Both of us were crying.

"I can't believe you've been here all summer and I didn't run into you." I told her.

"Mais tu n'étais là que pour la moitié de l'été." she told me. I am still wondering why she is talking in french.

"Yeah, but if I had stopped sulking in my cabin for all but the last week of camp, I would have had a better chance of running into you."

"Ce n'est pas ta faute, Jay. Bien que je sois surpris que tu ne me sois pas couru dessus, j'étais presque toujours avec Shane et, ou, Nate."

"Yeah, but I wasn't always with them, so when you were with both of them, I was probably off playing my music."

"Et quand j'étais avec l'un d'eux, tu étais avec l'autre."

"And when I was with both of them.."

"Je m'entrainais pour finale confiture." We laughed.

"Only you and Magie would be able to hang out with the same people in the same place and not run into each other." Nate laughed. Apparently sometime during Mitchie and I's reunion Shane and Nate had joined us. Shane wrapped his arms around both Mitchie and I. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? It was either pull her out of your embrace or hug both of you. I figured you both would like it better if I just hugged both of you." Shane said innocently.

I just shook my head. "I have one crazy family."

"J'accepte!" Mitchie laughed.

"Are you calling me crazy? Because if you are I might just have to get Nate and Jason to help me tickle you." Shane threatened teasingly.

"Non, s'il te plaît, pas de chatouilles! Vous n'êtes pas fous!" She pleaded.

We all laughed. "Hey Mitch, why do you speak in french?"

"J'ai parlé dans français depuis le jour où j'ai été pris. J'ai juré de ne pas dire un mot en anglais, bien que, comme vous l'avez entendu, je chante encore en anglais, jusqu'à ce que je sois réunie avec vous. J'ai choisi français parce que je me suis souvenu que c'était votre langue préférée." She explained.

"So why aren't you talking in english then? You've found me." Shane and Nate nodded in agreement, she must have told them.

"Je pense que c'est juste l'habitude maintenant. Je veux parler en anglais, mais je parle automatiquement dans français. Je suppose que c'est ce qui arrive quand vous parlez dans français depuis que vous avez quatre ans." She explained.

"Oh, well you've got ten friends and family willing to help you out." Nate told her.

"Merci, gars." We were interrupted when Tess walked up to us.

"Um, Mitchie? Can I speak to you for a second?" Tess asked timidly. I could see Shane and Nate glaring at her, I wonder what happened.

Mitchie POV

Tess Tyler wants to speak to me?! Well, I am going to let her talk. Peggy and Ella have already apologized to me and we became friends instantly. Let's see what she has to say.

"D'accord, mais tu dois le faire ici, avec les gars." I told her.

"That's fine. They need to hear this as well, well except Jason, he has nothing to do with this." she took a deep breath. "I am really sorry for how I treated all of you this summer, especially you Mitchie. I had no right to expose you like I did, or treat you the way I did. You see I am like this because I want to impress my mom, that maybe she will notice me for once. Mitchie, your parents sold you and now you have an even worse life than I do, and I would ask of no one what you are going through, I don't know how you do it. But at least they acknowledge your presence, and you know they don't love you. And now you have found your brother who loves you very much and I know that he will take great care of you. But I'm jealous of others relationships with their families. My mom is never home, and the few times she is she doesn't even pay attention to me, even during my performance she stopped watching and blocked me out to go talk the phone to somebody. I don't actually knows if she loves me. She has never once told me and she doesn't show it very well if she does. It seems like she loves her work more than she loves me. I try to make her proud, but so far I've only ended up a disappointment. I know this doesn't excuse my actions but I hope you can forgive me and maybe we can start over and be friends?" By the time she finished, Tess had tears streaming down her face. I was shocked. I thought Tess had the perfect life. We were going to be great friends, I could already tell.

I pulled out of Shane and Jason's embraces and pulled Tess into one. "Bien sûr que je te pardonne. Nous allons être de grands amis."

"Thank you Mitchie."

"Pas de problème. Je pense que tu devrais parler à ta mère de ce que tu ressens. Comme toutes mes chansons disent, ne prenez pas la famille pour acquis."

"I will. See you at the campfire later?"

"Vous le savez." Tess walked off toward her mother and I knew things were going to get better for her. Richard then put his hand on my arm.

"Cmon, Honey." He looked like he had just vomited when he said that, but only I would be able to see that. "It is time to go home."

"Wait, camp isn't over till tomorrow though." Nate said, completely confused.

"Je ne suis inscrit qu'à la dernière confiture. Je dois partir ce soir."

"But, I just got you back! You can't leave now!" my brother exclaimed.

"Crois-moi, je ne veux pas partir non plus, mais je n'ai pas le choix. Je te verrai bien tôt quand je viendrai enregistrer avec Shane." I told him. Then I whispered in his ear, "Shane et Nate ont mon adresse. Je pense que vous allez me voir plus tôt plutôt que plus tard s'ils ont quelque chose à dire à ce sujet." I pulled him into a hug. "Je t'aime, Jay."

"This is not goodbye Mitchie, I promise. This is just a see you later. I love you, Munchkin." he told me, and I smiled through my tears. I pulled away and turned to Nate. I pulled him into a hug.

"Tu vas vraiment me manquer. Je compte sur toi et Shane pour me sortir de là. Tu es devenu comme mon second frère cet été." I whispered in his ear as we hugged each other tight.

"I'm going to miss you Mitchie. Don't worry, we will get you out sooner than you know." He pulled away. "Take my medallion as a sign of my promise." He put the medallion around my neck. I examined it, it said Nate Black across it with a really hilarious picture of him carved into it.

"Merci, garçon tambour." I told him. Now it was Shane's turn. Next to my brother, he was going to be the hardest one to say goodbye to. I looked into his eyes and he instantly pulled me into a hug.

"You can't go back with them! I won't let you! I won't let you get hurt again by those horrible people." He whispered in my ear.

"Je suis désolé, petit cercle, mais je n'ai pas le choix. Je sais que tu ne me laisseras pas rester longtemps. Entre vous, Nate et Jason, je serai hors de là si vite qu'il fera tourner la tête. ils ne sauront pas ce qui s'est passé. Ce n'est pas pour longtemps. Je te verrai très bien tôt. Va être le Popstar que j'aime. Je t'aime, Shane." at this point the tears were streaming down my face. I had complete trust in Shane, Nate, and Jason.

"Je te verrai bien tôt, fille mystérieuse. Je t'aime aussi." He replied, calling me by my nickname that was an inside joke between the two of us. I smiled through my tears.

He pulled away, took off his leather jacket, and draped around my shoulders. He pulled me in and kissed me. I smiled into the kiss and returned it. I knew Richard and Elizabeth were going to be super pissed when I got home and I was probably going to get the worst beating of my life, and I didn't know if I was going to survive long enough for them to save me but right now I didn't care. Shane pulled away and put his forehead to mine. Nate and Jason pulled both of us into a group hug, and I knew in that moment no matter what happened after, it was going to be ok.

I pulled out of the hug, gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, and left with Richard and Elizabeth. As the car drove away I stared out the window at the boy who had become like my twin, the boy who had entered my heart and broke down my walls to become my boyfriend, and my brother once again disappear from sight.

Shane POV

I can't believe it. After I promised Mitchie that she wouldn't have to go back to that horrible house, here I stand watching as the car left with her in it to take her back. I just hope that we can get her out of there before it is too late. A glance at Nate told me he was thinking the same thing. I knew he and Mitchie really got close this year, but I wonder just how close they got. A glance at Jason told me he was heartbroken. For the second time in his life he had to watch his baby sister drive off, away from him against her will. I still didn't know how he kept this a secret from us for eleven years. If he had told us we would have been able to help him search for her, and would have gotten to spend more time with her this summer.

Jason turned to me and Nate. "Alright, I hate to do this to you guys because you're my best friends, but.."

"Wait are you ditching us for Mitchie?" Nate asked.

"Of course not genius. I just have to give you guys the big brother talk and figure out what exactly your relationship has become with my sister."

"That makes me feel so much better." Nate sighs. I laugh at the two of them. The old Jason is definitely back. We walked back to the cabin joking with each other. I know we were all devastated about Mitchie but there wasn't anything we could do at this moment and we knew that. When we got to the cabin though, Jason sat us both down.

"Alright, Nate you first." He nodded at Nate.

"Mitchie and I have become like twins. I know she is your sister, but she told me when we were saying goodbye that I had become her honorary twin, since we are the same age. We are also practically inseparable and tell each other a lot, just like twins do. You know like the stuff you don't tell your parents or boyfriend? I love her like a sister and I would give my life to protect her." Nate confessed. I smiled. Mitchie needed someone like Nate that she could relate to and feel comfortable talking to.

"Thank you Nate. I can tell you two are close and that is fine with me that you think of each other as twins. Alright Shane you're up." Jason turned to me.

"Mitchie and I are dating. I am not going to dance around the bush. I love your sister and I would never hurt her. Just like Nate I would give my life if it meant she would be safe from harm." Although I knew I was failing that right now.

"There is no one that I would trust more than you with my little sister. Your my best friend and I know you will never hurt her." Jason smiled and pulled both of us into a hug, you know I missed his constant group hugs.

"Sorry to break the happy mood, but we still don't know how we are going to save Mitchie!" Nate reminded us. Uh-oh, bad choice of words dude. Jason doesn't know about Mitchie's living style right now.

"Uh yeah. We have to figure out how to keep her with us when we take her for the recording. If we can get her to be with us sooner that would be great. The sooner the better." I butted in, hoping that Jason wouldn't notice.

"Yeah but how? Jason asked. We pondered that each of us starting to say something then change our mind and go back to thinking.

"Wait, I have custody over her." Jason mumbled.

"What? Speak up we can't hear you man." I told him.

"I have custody over her." Jason stated. "I have custody over her! She's in my custody!"

"What?! When were you going to tell us this and why didn't you say something sooner?!" Nate and I asked at the same time.

"I just remembered." he told us.

"Well then as soon as we leave tomorrow, we pick up a lawyer, the police, and head over to her house." I stated.

"Well, technically she isn't in my custody until she signs the papers, but there won't be any court trial. As soon as she signs the paper she is in my custody, effective immediately. I don't think the signature will be a problem." Jason informed us.

"Still, call the lawyer, Jason. Get him down here. Nate, tomorrow when we leave, call the police. Give them Mitchie's address, but tell them not to turn lights or sirens on and not to do anything until we get there. I am going to get Mitchie's belongings from Caitlyn. The only thing she had when she left was her song book. Meet at the campfire." They both nodded. Jason got his phone out and started talking to the lawyer. Nate and I left the cabin. Nate went to the fire and I knocked on Caitlyn's cabin.

"Come in!" she called. I walked in. "Oh hey Shane! Where's Mitchie?"

"She left. The Torres' only paid for up to Final Jam. She left right after her reunion with Jason."

"She was reunited with her brother!?"

"Yeah, Jason Green, my best friend and bandmate."

"Wow! So you here for Mitchie's stuff?"

"Yeah, We are going to go save her tomorrow after camp."

"Yea! She doesn't deserve anything she is getting."

I grabbed Mitchie's guitar and pillowcase of stuff. "See you at the campfire. Nate can't wait to talk to you, he was really impressed with what you did with Mitchie's song."

She blushed. "See you Shane." I went back to my cabin and put mitchie's stuff on my bed. I went out to the campfire. Everyone was singing. I found Jason and Nate and sat between them. Nate had his arm wrapped around Caitlyn. I nudged him.

"You know when we get Mitchie back she is going to bombard you with questions."

"I know, and since we were twins I will answer every single one of them truthfully."

"You two really are a special pair."

"Do you think we will get there in time?" Nate asked me.

"I don't know Nate, I just don't know."

_AN: Hey guys! Sorry there's no translations this time I wanted to get this updated. Hope you enjoyed it. I will try to update sooner for the next chapter. With translations!_


	12. Just How Close to the Heart You Are

p id="docs-internal-guid-27026bea-7fff-6995-05a1-e70d183beab4" dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sorry for the long wait. Now that school is over I should be regularly updating every four days. Enjoy this chapter!/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" -/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shane POV/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Today is the day we get Mitchie back. Nate, Jason, and I are saying goodbye to Uncle Brown right now. The lawyer is sitting in the car waiting for us and as soon as we get in the car, Nate is going to call the police to meet us at Mitchie's house./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Bye Uncle Brown, we will miss you." I told him. Giving him a hug./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Bye Shane. You three and Mitchie are coming back next summer as counselors, no argument." he told me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Of course. And we will see you at Thanksgiving right?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yep. I will be there." Jason, Nate, and I got in the car. We waved to Brown as the car drove off./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now, tell me what is going on." The lawyer demanded as we drove off. Nate called the police and I explained the situation while Jason was busy looking over the documents. He nodded when I finished and went over the papers with Jason again. We were on our way to save Mitchie, I just hoped we made it in time./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Mitchie POV/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We got home really late. When we got in the house Richard turned and slapped me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You won Final Jam, but you know I hate those slow depressing songs. You will not sleep tonight, and tomorrow you will clean the entire house before your beating will ensue." he yelled at me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Oui Monsieur." I said. They went to bed and I went to my closet. I sat up all night writing a song to Nate, Jason, and Shane, telling them everything that I would never get to say to them again because I knew that I was going to die with the beating tomorrow, there was no way I would survive./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The next morning came too fast for me. I got up, made breakfast, and started cleaning. I finished cleaning the entire mansion and reported back to Richard. Elizabeth was sitting in the library reading. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""To the backyard." Richard ordered. I obediently went to the backyard and waited. Richard went into the shed and pulled out the whip and board. I also saw him pull out his brass knuckles and swiss army knife. Uh-oh, he hasn't used those since I was ten. Now I was really scared. The beating started as normal, he hit me with the whip, but he just kept hitting. Finally he stopped and moved to the board. Once again he just kept hitting and hitting. I felt so many ribs break. He then moved to the knife, making cut after cut in my skin, I am sure he was carving a message in my skin. He pulled out his cigarette and lighter, he lit the cigarette and pressed it to my skin. He repeated this process again and again. Once again I was sure he was inscribing something in my skin. By the time he started hitting and kicking me, I was in so much pain I was ready to black out from the pain and blood loss. Suddenly I heard voices screaming my name, and I blacked out./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Nate POV/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We arrived at the address Mitchie had given us, and Shane and I gasped. This place was HUGE! This was a grade one mansion. Mitchie had to clean this place everyday?! We really needed to get her out of here quickly. I looked over at Shane and knew he was thinking the same thing, but when I glanced at Jason he looked scared out of his mind./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What's wrong Jason?" I asked him. Shane looked over at Jason as well./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah you're really pale." Shane commented. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's just… What if Mitchie is happy here? What if she found a new family that loves her and doesn't want to leave them? I mean look at this house! She probably has the best life here and doesn't want anything to do with her lame brother." Jason rambled on. I looked at Shane and we simultaneously pulled Jason into a hug./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Jason, you're not thinking this through. Do you remember how upset Mitchie was when she had to leave you, to leave us? She doesn't want to be here, trust me. There is no one she would rather live with than you. I promise. She doesn't want to be here." I told him. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah I guess you're right. Thanks Nate, Shane." Jason nodded. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The police arrived and we all got out of our cars./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm Officer Pete. What is going on here? All we got was a call telling us to come here and not to turn our sirens on so we can catch them in the act." An officer asked us./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I am Shane, and this is Nate and Jason. There is child abuse happening in this house and if they heard the sirens they would stop and make it look like they are a loving family when they are really not. Mitchie is fifteen living in the care of Richard and Elizabeth Torres. We also need your help to get Mitchie out of here because Jason is her brother and legal guardian, as soon as she signs the papers, which won't be a problem unless they try to influence her into not signing the papers." Shane informed the police./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Our plan is to enter as quietly as we can, which means no knocking and no breaking the door down. We sneak through the house to the backyard first, that is where Mitchie and Richard will most likely be, and I don't know where Elizabeth will be. If they are not in the backyard then we will search the house until we find them." I told informed them of the plan that Shane and I had come up with in the car. Jason still didn't need to know what was happening to Mitchie, he would get too emotional and an emotional Jason is never a good thing./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The officer nodded and we moved to the door. I looked at Shane and nodded at him. He reached out and turned the knob, luckily the door was not locked and the hinges didn't squeak, in fact the door made no noise. Jason entered first, I followed him, Shane followed me, and the officers followed Shane. I took the lead and lead the way to the backyard. We reached the door that lead to the backyard. I took a deep breath trying to ready myself for what I would see, but little did I know nothing could have prepared me for the image that would haunt me for the rest of my life./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I opened the door and was frozen to my spot. I felt Shane and Jason press behind me to see and then freeze as well. There was Mitchie, my beloved twin sister, bruised bleeding, and limp. Richard put down the knife he was using and picked up a board. At that moment something happened in my body and I was able to think and move again. I was not going to let that man hurt her again. I promised to protect her and I wasn't going to fail anymore./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I ran forward yelling her name. I scooped her up and covered her with my body, shielding her from the next blow. I held her close to my heart, whispering to her that it will be ok. The board came down and hit me. Hard. Hit me in the back of the head. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As I blacked out my last thought was that Richard would still hit me and leave Mitchie alone./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Shane POV/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We arrived at the mansion where Mitchie was being held captive. I don't care what it is legally called, but usually being kept against your will is called being held captive. After talking to the police and informing them of our plan, we silently entered the house. I was really worried about Mitchie. I just hoped we got here in time. As we walked through the house, I noticed a small closet under the stairs. I broke away from the group and went over to the closet. I opened the door and saw Mitchie's songbook, which meant this was the closet she was forced to stay in. I picked up her book and joined back up with the group. I fell in behind Nate as we stopped at the door that lead to the backyard. I could see Nate was trying to compose himself for what we were about to see. I knew there was no way we would be ready for what we were about to see./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Nate opened the door and froze. Jason and I both tried to get by Nate enough to see what he was staring at. When we did we both froze as well. Mitchie was lying on the ground, bloodied, bruised, and limp. I really hoped she was just unconscious and not dead. Richard put down the knife and picked up a board. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"All of a sudden, Nate burst forward. Jason and I were both frozen as we watched the boy who had become our bandmate, best friend, and little brother put himself between Mitchie and the board. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We could hear the resounding CRACK! as the board hit Nate in the back of the head. He fell on top of Mitchie. Alright that is it, you don't mess with the ones I love. I started towards Richard, but the police beat me to it. They wrestled with Richard, Mitchie and Nate still in the danger zone. I rushed over, kneeled next to Nate and Mitchie, scooped them up into my arms, and held them close to my chest, shielding them from any blows that would hit them from the fight would hit me instead. Richard must have thrown the board cause I felt it hit my shoulder, painfully hard. As the struggle continued I kept taking small blows to my back and shoulders. I would be bruised tomorrow, but that was a small sacrifice I was willing to take for Nate and Mitchie. Suddenly, the blows stopped and so did all sound. I didn't come uncurled from Mitchie and Nate until I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Jason looking down at me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Jason POV/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"I was so scared when we pulled up and I saw the mansion that Mitchie lived in. Why would anyone want to leave a place like this? There is no way Mitchie would want to leave this place for me. Nate and Shane must have noticed my fear because they asked me what was wrong and I found myself spilling all of my fears to them. They informed me that Mitchie couldn't wait to get out of this place. I nodded. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We got out of the car and Shane and Nate talked to the police while I continued staring at the size of the house. I mean Shane, Nate, and I have a mansion but it is only like half the size of this one. I wondered why the police were here, and why we were sneaking in the house. Shane and Nate were whispering the entire ride. I was talking to the lawyer part of the time but I still noticed them whispering. I wondered what they were hiding from me. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We entered the house and my fear of her not wanting to leave grew by the immense beauty and true size of the house. I mindlessly followed Nate to the door that lead to the backyard. Shane had at some point gotten in front of me, behind Nate. I wondered what was going on that they were trying to hide from me as long as possible. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"When Nate paused before opening the door, it just confused me even more. He opened the door, stepped outside, and froze, and when Shane and I pushed him forward just enough to see, I finally understood./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There, lying on the ground, bloodied, bruised, and still being beaten was my little sister. This is what they were hiding from me. At that moment I froze as a million emotions washed over me. I was upset with Shane and Nate for not telling me about Mitchie's living situation. I was angry and my parents for putting her in this situation. I wanted to kill the couple for treating my sister like this. But mostly I was angry with myself, for not being able to stop Mitchie from being taken from me in the first place, for not finding Mitchie sooner to prevent this, for not telling Shane and Nate about Mitchie, for not remembering the guardianship papers sooner, and for letting her be taken from me again. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Then I was flooded with a new emotion, as I watched Nate put his own body in between my sister and board that she was being beaten with, as I heard the resounding CRACK! as the board hit him in the back of the head, as I saw him fall to the ground, still covering Mitchie's body with his own. As I saw the police struggle to contain Richard, as I saw Shane cover Nate and Mitchie with his body, protecting them from any stray blows from the struggle between the police and Richard. I made my decision when I saw Richard throw the board and hit Shane in the shoulder. I rushed over to help the police restrain Richard, he had hurt my little sister and my little brothers and that was not ok with me. I knew the only way that they would be able to contain him is to knock him out, but to do that they would have to have a hand to do that with and they were all trying to keep him from attacking them and Shane. I ran over and whispered in one of the cops ears to let him attack me and I would keep him occupied while they knocked him out. The cop looked at me, silently asking if I was sure. I nodded. He conveyed the message to his fellow cops and they looked at me. I nodded, saying I was ready./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They released Richard, and he charged me. I put up a fist to punch him, but he grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back. I gasped as he dislocated my shoulder. He kept twisting and I heard a crack. He had broke something, but what I didn't know. What I did know was that those police had better hurry up or he was going to completely rip my arm out of its socket. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Finally, a cop was able to knock him out. I gasped in pain as my arm dropped limply to my side. I gently cradled it against my chest./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sorry, Jason? Right?" I nodded. "Everytime we went to hit him he moved and if we had swung we would have either hit you or Shane."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's alright. I knew it wouldn't be easy and I knew I was letting a very angry man attack me. I knew I was going to get hurt." I replied. I watched as they cuffed Richard and hauled him off. They informed me that they had already arrested his wife and that an ambulance was on its way. I nodded my thanks and turned to Shane, Nate, and Mitchie. Shane was still curled protectively around Nate and Mitchie. I gently let my arm hang by my side once again and gently placed my hand on Shane's shoulder, the one that hadn't been hit by the board. He looked up at me and I nodded, silently telling him that it was over. He nodded back at me and glanced down at Nate and Mitchie. I kneeled down next to him and felt for a pulse on both of them. I was so scared I wouldn't find one, but they were there. I breathed a sigh of relief. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"When I accidentally jostled my arm I gasped in pain. Shane looked at me with scared eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What happened?" He asked me./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Richard wasn't being contained by the police so I told them to let him attack me so they could knock him out. Richard decided to try to rip my arm out of its socket by twisting it behind my back. He dislocated my shoulder, and kept twisting. He eventually broke something as well. The police finally got a window to hit him and not you or I. I'm fine it just really hurts. How's your shoulder?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt 0pt;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hurts but I will live." I nodded and glanced down at Nate and Mitchie, who were still wrapped in Shane's embrace, and felt a little left out. Shane must have noticed because he opened his arm to welcome me into the semi hug. I gladly accepted and as Shane wrapped his arms around Nate, Mitchie, and I, and I wrapped my good arm around him, the feeling that had come over me earlier returned. I sat there in the embrace of the three people who I loved and knew that they loved me as well. I knew then that no matter what happened next all four of us would forever be loved./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt 0pt;"span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"-/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt 0pt;"emspan style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Well, there it is. Good? Bad? Let me know! Also Check out my other stories! Thanks for reading!/span/em/p 


	13. Assessing the Damage

Shane POV

The paramedics arrived and loaded Mitchie, Nate, and Jason into ambulances, Jason rode with Nate and I hopped a ride with Mitchie. The paramedics were working on Mitchie, hooking her up to oxygen, giving her pain medication, and trying to stop the bleeding were the three big things happening at the moment. Another paramedic was tending to my back, making sure nothing major was wrong with it. Although the paramedic said it would be best if I got an x-ray or MRI just to be sure nothing is seriously wrong, but he said it should be fine. I wondered how Nate and Jason were doing.

We arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. Nate and Mitchie were both rushed into the emergency room doors while Jason and I exited slower. Jason was walking but I was in a wheelchair because it hurt my back to walk right now. Our paramedics led us to the doors of the hospital.

I turned to Jason, "What did they say about your arm?"

"He said that my shoulder is definitely dislocated and popped it back into place before we left for the hospital. He told me that I would need x-rays for my arm to see what the damage is and maybe an MRI. I have to wait though. What about you? Why are you in the chair? How's your back?"

"Badly bruised, very painful, really hurts to move, especially walk, that is why I am in the chair. He told me he wants me to get an MRI and x-ray to make sure nothing major is wrong. I am sure they will probably take Nate for PET, MRI, and a CT scan with as hard as he was hit."

"Yeah, I wonder how Nate and Mitchie are doing anyway. Speaking of Mitchie, I should probably tell the nurse to let the doctor know that he will be coming to either you or me with information on Mitchie, it should already be in Nate's file."  
"Excuse me," I asked the paramedic leading Jason and I into the building,"do you think it would be possible for you to find a room that my three friends and I could share? We would all feel better if we were close to each other."

"I will see what I can do. What are the names of your other two friends so I can put in the request?" he asked me.

"Mitchie Torres and Nate Black." I told him.

"I will see what I can do."

"Thank you."

A nurse walked up to us and took both Jason and I to get our vitals checked, again. As we were led through the doors into the back I saw the paramedic walk up to the desk and talk to the nurse that was sitting there.

"Excuse me Ma'am," Jason tried to get the nurse's attention.

"Oh none of this Ma'am business, call me Emily." she chastised.

"Alright, well I am Jason and this is Shane." Jason smiled at her.

"Now, what can I do for you?" She asked and smiled at us.

"My sister was brought in with us. The person who was listed as her medical contact is no longer her contact. If possible can you let the doctor know that either myself or Shane is to be informed of Mitchie's condition please?" Jason asked her.

"Of course. All you have to do is fill out some paperwork and I will file it in her file, and your sister will sign it when she is able." Emily informed Jason with a smile as she took our blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. "Alright, follow me."

We followed Emily to a room. When we entered the room, I saw four beds in the room and smiled. The paramedic had been able to do something. I didn't know if Mitchie and Nate would actually be able to join us in the room for a while, it all depended on what their conditions were. Emily helped me onto the bed.

"Someone will come to collect you for your x-rays and MRIs soon. Just sit tight for a little bit. I will be back to check on you soon." she turned to leave. "Oh one more thing," she turned back to us, "I will be your nurse for the entirety of your stay, that includes Nate and Mitchie as well. Don't be afraid to talk to me or ask me any question at all. If you need to talk and just want someone to listen, don't be afraid to ask, I am willing to listen, I know there are somethings that you can't talk to your friends or siblings about but you really need to talk to someone, just need someone to listen, I can do that, don't hesitate to ask. If you need anything while I am not on duty, here's my number, don't hesitate to call or text me. I will pick up." She handed us a piece of paper, smiled, and left the room.

"She seems really nice, I am glad she is our nurse." I said to Jason. When he didn't respond I looked over at him. He was staring at the door, nodding his head. "Dude, you okay?"

Jason looked at me, "She's beautiful, I wonder if she likes birds."

"Why don't you ask her?" I could tell Jason was taken with Emily. "Ask her what she likes, talk to her get to know her. She didn't seem to know that we were Connect 3 or if she did she didn't care. She treated us like normal people, like Mitchie and Caitlyn. Speaking of Caitlyn, we should probably let her know what happened to Nate. She will be pissed we didn't tell her sooner." Jason nodded and sat down.

Emily came back about twenty minutes later.

"Have they still not come to take you back?"

"No." Jason told her. She smiled.

"That's weird, I will go see what the hold up is, I will be right back." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" I called out. She turned around.

"Yes?"

"Can we borrow your phone to inform Nate's girlfriend what is happening? She is also Mitchie's best friend."

"Of course, here you go." She handed me her phone and left. I dialed Cailyn's number.

_Caitlyn_ ; Shane

"_Hello?"_

"Caitlyn, it's Shane. Jason, Mitchie, and I are in the hospital. Mitchie didn't look too good when they brought her in."

"_What about Nate is he okay? What happened?"_

"Nate ...has a pretty nasty head wound. It was bleeding pretty badly when they brought him in. I will explain what happened when you get here. Jason and I are still waiting to be examined. Just get here as quick as you can."

"_I will be there in an hour."_ She hung up just as Emily walked back into the room.

"Here's your phone back. How much longer do we have to wait?"

"They are backed up so it will be a little bit longer, sorry. If there is anything I can get you just let me know." She smiled and left.

Now we wait.


End file.
